chest while the person inhales, and exhale when the knees are lowered. This exercise can be done in 3 sets of 6–8 repetitions with a pause in between sets. The person should always make sure to maintain controlled breaths. Eventually, the person will be progressed to walking and posture correction while walking. Before the person is discharged from the hospital, the person should be able to perform mobility exercises to the core and should have attained good posture. Prognosis The death rate of people with flail chest depends on the severity of their condition, ranging from 10 to 25%. A systematic review comparing the safety and effectiveness of surgical fixation versus non-surgical methods for the treatment of flail chest, reported that there was no statistically significant difference in the reported deaths between patients treated surgically and those treated non-surgically i.e. with conservative management methods. The results of the systematic review suggested that surgical intervention reduces the need for tracheostomy, reduces the time spent in the intensive care unit following a traumatic flail chest injury and could reduce the risk of acquiring pneumonia after such an event. Epidemiology Approximately 1 out of 13 people admitted to the hospital with fractured ribs are found to have flail chest. References External links Rib Fractures & Flail Chest at Trauma.org – info, images, and video of paradoxical flail-segment motion Chest trauma