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bobs New
Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 29
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Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 6:57 pm GMT +0000 Post subject: Rib injury after OTB excursion |
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Doc,
Took a trip over the bars during the BRC fat bike race after a pedal strike. Got body slammed on the left side of my back harder than I ever have. Wind knocked out, swelling and good size bruises. Still have severe pain taking deep breaths, laugh or God forbid cough. Very sharp pain that kind of radiates around to the front. What is the potential for something more severe than a bruised rib? Have not had it looked at but wondering if I should?
Thanks, Bob |
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The Bike Doc 250+
Joined: 08 May 2003 Posts: 1398 Location: Corpus Christi and Warda, Texas
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 1:29 pm GMT +0000 Post subject: |
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bobs:
From your description, you may have a fractured (broken) rib(s). The biggest worry is your developing an area of atelectasis (loss of local expansion of the small airsacs call alveoli) to the lung area around the area where you have incurred the injury. This occurs if you do not breath deep enough to keep the alvoli open. A complication of atelectasis is secondary pneumonia. To avoid this you must take slow, deep breaths to help expand the lung do 4-5 slow deep breaths every hour you are awake. You will hurt for 4-8 weeks depending on how long it takes the rib(s) to heal.
Symptoms for which you should seek further evaluation by a doctor: Fever of 101F or more, worsening chest paint, shortness of breath, shaking chills, coughing up pus or blood. Bottom, line if you are hurting worse feeling more short of breath, get thee to a doctor or ER.
Thanks, _________________ Paul K. Nolan, MD
AKA: The Bike Doc |
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bobs New
Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 29
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Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 7:56 pm GMT +0000 Post subject: |
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Thanks Doc! Guess I'm out for Warda |
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