Comments on: How can one tell if they have a punctured lung?

By: kellycan

kellycan — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:17:21 +0000

if you punctured your lung you would not be able to type this question. You probably just bruised your rib cage. If the pain does not go away in a couple you may want to get x-rays you could have a fracture in a rib bone.

By: HWN

HWN — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:45:55 +0000

I think you should go to a doctor to see if anything is wrong.
I am pretty sure you don’t have a punctured lung.
You probably just have a little injury.

Below are signs of a lung injury.

STEP 1: Look for signs of respiratory distress immediately after a major impact to the chest: rapid and shallow breathing, an elevated heart rate, a bluish tint around the nose and mouth, no detectable breathing. If any of these signs are present, suspect a lung injury.

STEP 2: Look for the signs of a punctured lung: increasing difficulty breathing, coughing up blood.

STEP 3: Have somebody put an ear to both sides of the injured person’s chest and listen to the breathing: Can you hear air entering both sides of the chest? If air is entering only one side, suspect a lung injury.

STEP 4: Look for an open chest wound or an impaled object in the chest. If either of these is present, suspect a lung injury.

STEP 5: Treat immediately: Maintain an open airway, seal any open chest wounds, stop the bleeding, stabilize any impaled objects, have the person sit or lie in the position of greatest comfort.

STEP 6: Evacuate immediately, monitoring for respiratory distress. The person will not be able to walk out and must be carried.

By: gizmo0013

gizmo0013 — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 02:25:26 +0000

I would go to the Dr. but it probably is just fractured. I have had fractured and cracked ribs. It hurts to breath, cough, laugh and some other thing. Just get checked out to be on the safe side.

By: bdyoung8

bdyoung8 — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 23:09:55 +0000

it’s probably just a bruised rib. if it was a punctured lung, it would have been punctured by a broken rib and a broken rib would be near unbearable pain (just a fractured rib is pretty bad). i would probably wait a couple more days, ice it and you might try wrapping an ace bandage around your chest. if it gets worse or hard to breathe and the doctor’s office isn’t open, go to the e.r. because if it’s a broken rib or punctured lung, you’re going to have to go to the hospital anyways, but i don’t think you have too much to worry about.

By: TweetyBird

TweetyBird — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:42:19 +0000

If you had a punctured lung, you would be in respiratory distress with a collapsed lung. You are undoubetdly bruised and banged up with very sore muscles but since you can obviously function, nothing serious happened. It’s your choice to see a doctor but you may wish to monitor your condition. If you begin to experience respiratory distress (difficulty breathing, labored breathing, anxiety, shortness of breath), don’t wait until it worsens and becomes a 911, see your doctor immediately. If this should happen after office hours, call EMS.

By: Shar

Shar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:43:31 +0000

A punctured lung will cause severe shortness of breath and painful breathing.

By: celticwaverider

celticwaverider — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:25:02 +0000

it’s probrably just a bad bruise but there’s no harm in having a doc check it out if for nothing else than to give you peace of mind.

By: dtwladyhawk

dtwladyhawk — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:25:06 +0000

Most likely muscular, or a cracked rib, if you had a collapsed lung you would be struggling to breath.

By: pinkangel

pinkangel — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:39:40 +0000

If you had a punctured lung you wouldn’t be able to breathe and would be in hospital with a chest drain in situ.

Worst case scenario, you have cracked a rib, otherwise its just bruising. If in doubt, seek medical advice.

By: Samm

Samm — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 00:28:02 +0000

The lung will deflate and you will have trouble breathing.
The rib cage will hurt, it is bruised. You would be having trouble breathing if the lung were punctured.