What is a common cause of flail chest?

Flail chest is a specific type of chest injury that occurs when a segment of the rib cage becomes detached from the rest of the thoracic structure, typically due to multiple rib fractures in two or more places. This condition is most commonly associated with blunt trauma, particularly from mechanisms such as motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) and falls. These types of blunt trauma exert significant force on the ribcage, leading to the fracture of ribs and potentially causing the chest wall to move paradoxically during respiration. This paradoxical movement can result in impaired ventilation, respiratory distress, and other complications.

In contrast, near drowning incidents, severe allergic reactions, and inhalation injuries from smoke do not typically involve the same mechanism of injury as flail chest. While these conditions can lead to respiratory issues, they do not produce the specific structural defects in the rib cage that characterize flail chest. Thus, the occurrence of flail chest is closely linked to the types of blunt trauma mentioned.