When caring for a patient with a possible fracture of the scapula, the EMT should:

• A. Recognize that scapular fractures are life threatening.
• B. Assume that minimal force was applied to the back.
• C. Apply rigid board splints across the chest and back.
• D. Carefully assess the patient for breathing problems.

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that injuries to the shoulder blade typically come from high‑energy trauma and often accompany chest injuries that can compromise breathing. In trauma care, you first assess and support breathing because impaired ventilation can be life-threatening even if the fracture itself isn’t immediately dangerous. By carefully checking how the patient is breathing—watching for effort, rate, sounds, chest rise, and oxygen saturation—you can detect pneumothorax, hemothorax, contusion, or other thoracic injuries early and intervene with oxygen and appropriate transport. Scapular fractures by themselves don’t automatically require chest immobilization or imply minimal force; they signal potential thoracic injury that needs a focused respiratory assessment.