A patient arrives in the emergency department after a multi-…
A patient arrives in the emergency department after a multi-car collision. On assessment, the respiratory therapist notes absent breath sounds on the left side of the chest along with a hyperresonant percussion tone. The trachea is deviated to the right. The patient’s heart rate is 48/min, respiratory rate is 32/min, and blood pressure is 62/38 mm Hg. Which intervention should the respiratory therapist recommend first?