Broken Rib: Symptoms, Causes, Complications, and Treatment
Symptoms
- Pain: Sharp pain when breathing, coughing, sneezing, or pressing on the area.
- Bruising and swelling: Around the injured rib.
- Difficulty breathing: Shallow breaths due to pain; risk of inadequate lung expansion.
- Coughing and sneezing: Exacerbate pain.
Potential Complications
- Pneumothorax: Air leakage into pleural space causing shortness of breath and chest pain.
- Hemothorax: Blood accumulation in pleural space.
- Flail chest: Multiple rib fractures causing chest wall instability; life-threatening respiratory distress.
Seek medical evaluation for suspected rib fractures to prevent complications.
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