How to seal an open chest wound
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In Making Synapses you practice it on the patient.
An open chest wound lets air in. Seal it and watch for pressure building.
Step by step
Cover now
Gloved hand over the wound. [1]
Seal
Vented chest seal; occlusive dressing if none. [1]
Check the back
For an exit wound. [1]
Watch
Worsening breathing, low blood pressure, absent breath sounds on one side: tension. [1]
Burp
Lift one edge of the seal to let air out; needle decompression if trained. [1]
Oxygen and transport
Position of comfort. [1]
Common errors
- Waiting for a seal.
- Missing the exit wound.
- Missing tension.
Practice it in Making Synapses
In Making Synapses you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
Making Synapses cases that train this skill
- Post-cardiac arrest care
- Traumatic cardiac arrest
- Active shooter casualty
- Stable angina
- Unstable angina
- Chronic heart failure follow-up
9 Making Synapses cases train this skill: open the case library
Sources
Facts and steps follow NASEMSO National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines; NREMT psychomotor skill sheets (EMT and Paramedic). Making Synapses is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.