Chest Trauma and Thoracic Emergencies Practice Test

A 40-year-old male sustained a direct blow to the sternum from a steering wheel. He complains of severe chest pain that he says feels like pressure. A 12-lead ECG reveals sinus tachycardia with no ST elevation, but there are multiple premature ventricular contractions (PVCs).

A patient is stabbed in the chest to the left of the sternum. He presents with a BP of 80/60 mmHg, heart rate of 130 bpm, and significant JVD. The cardiac monitor shows sinus tachycardia with a beat-to-beat variation in the height of the QRS complexes.