Chest seal is a first aid product that is mainly used for deep puncture wounds in the chest and plays an irreplaceable and important role in first aid for this kind of trauma. Chest seal could be used by anyone, not only by professionally trained first aid staff. Chest seals are now also frequently found in first aid kits for various purposes.

First we have to learn is when to use chest seals. When the chest is injured and bleeds with breathing, it is the evidence that the closed human chest wall system has been disrupted. The extra air that enters the chest cavity with breathing puts pressure on the lungs and creates a pneumothorax, which may cause the injured person to suffocate.

A chest seal does not stop the wound from bleeding, but it can close the wound to prevent air from entering the chest cavity. There are also vented chest seal that could help allow air that has entered the chest cavity to release.

Chest seal should be used when a deep wound is seen in the chest wall, or even when a penetrating wound is suspected. Using a chest seal will not cause secondary injury to the injured person, even if their wound is not deep enough for air to enter the chest cavity.

Please follow these steps when applying a chest seal.

1. Use gauze to dry the area around the wound as much as possible.

2. Prepare the chest seal and check the instructions for use on the outer package in advance.

3. Cover the wound with the chest seal.

4. Observe the injured person until emergency personnel arrive. If you find that the injured person is still having difficulty breathing, you may need to open the edge of the chest seal to help air release or apply a new chest seal.