How To Apply An Occlusive Dressing To A Sucking Chest Wound

Occlusive dressings are a special type of dressing used to secure a sucking chest wound. A sucking chest wound is basically a hole in the chest that penetrates the void where your lungs are kept known as the thoracic cavity. It allows air to enter this area and place pressure on the lungs. This pressure can potentially collapse a lung or both. The occlusive dressing allows air to escape the cavity when the person inhales expanding their lungs and forcing the air out from the cavity through the wound. When the person exhales and their lungs deflate the occlusive dressing then seals around the wound preventing outside air from entering the chest through the wound. After applying this dressing be sure to check the backside of patient for an exit wound. If there is an exit wound you should seal it completely off with a piece of plastic followed by a bandage as you did with the entry point using the occlusive dressing only tape off the entire bandage this time.

It is important that this type of dressing be applied as soon as possible if these signs are present:
1.) bubbles are forming in the blood directly around the hole
2.) if you hear gargling sounds in the chest
3.) the injured person complains of difficulty to breath or is gasping for breath
4.) if you see an obvious deformity of the chest such as one side appearing to be sunken inwards

Here is the video showing exactly what to do: