Symptoms of flail chest after a traumatic injury include:
- Paradoxical movement: When someone with this injury inhales and the rest of the chest expands, a flail segment will sink inward. On the other hand, when the rest of the chest contracts on an exhale, the flail segment bulges outward.
- Severe chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
Bruising, inflammation, and sensitivity in the injured area are also expected.
