Gnarly footage out of Ukraine shows a Ukrainian combat medic treating a wounded team member for a sucking chest wound.

The injury appears to have resulted from a Russian artillery shell that exploded nearby and sent shrapnel out in all directions. An unlucky Ukrainian soldier was hit in the chest, resulting in the onset of tension pneumothorax. Once the upper torso is penetrated, air enters the space between the chest wall and lungs, essentially depressurizing the chest cavity and the lungs begin to collapse. The flattening of the lungs doesn't allow the injured man to breathe sufficiently which further leads to hypoxia as cells are unable to get the oxygen they need. As the condition progresses, the same pressure that is pushing on the lungs also begins to compress the heart, restricting it from pumping blood out to the body. If untreated, the injury continues to worsen until the victim goes into irreversible shock and dies.

In this video we can see multiple life-saving interventions that were performed by the medic in an attempt to stabilize this man until surgery can be performed. First, an occlusive dressing was applied. In this case it is a clear plastic, airtight sticker that covers the hole, restricting any more outside air from entering the chest cavity. Next, the air that has already invaded the chest cavity needs to be purged. This is done by inserting a decompression needle in between the ribs in a particular locationt. The needle allows air to escape but none to reenter. Then, the patient is covered in a reflective space blanket to prevent hypothermia. The body's core temperature drops with severe blood loss and as the temperature drops so does the body's ability to form blood clots. It's a vicious downward spiral if unchecked.

Now the team can only sit around and wait for their wounded buddy to be evacuated. This process of evacuation from the battlefield to an actual trauma center is the weak link in the chain of medical care, and many Ukrainian soldiers are dying of treatable injuries in the days-long process it takes to get them from the front lines to a surgical facilities in other parts of the country.

About the Author

Will Killmore

Will Killmore is a US Army combat infantry veteran and Purple Heart recipient. He has deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 172nd Stryker Brigade and 173rd Airborne Brigade. Following his time in service, he successfully pursued a certificate of journalism and has been a blogger for Funker530 since 2014. Follow Will’s bad takes on Twitter