A 56 year old male complains of tearing chest pain radiating to his back after a high-speed crash. What should your secondary assessment include?

In the context of a 56-year-old male who has experienced tearing chest pain radiating to his back after a high-speed crash, the secondary assessment should focus on identifying possible life-threatening conditions, including vascular emergencies like aortic dissection. Measuring bilateral upper extremity blood pressures is crucial in this scenario because a significant discrepancy in blood pressure between the arms can indicate aortic dissection or other critical vascular injuries.

When assessing this patient, obtaining blood pressure readings in both arms can provide essential information about the adequacy of perfusion and the presence of potential vascular complications stemming from the trauma. It is an important component of the secondary assessment in trauma cases, helping to guide further interventions and determine the urgency of transport to an appropriate facility.

Consideration of the other choices reveals that while deep palpation of the abdomen and auscultation for abnormal breath sounds are also important assessments in trauma cases, they do not specifically address the likelihood of aortic injury or dissection in the context of this patient's presenting symptoms. Furthermore, reviewing the medication list, while helpful in understanding the patient's medical history and potential drug interactions, does not provide immediate information relevant to the acute trauma situation presented. Therefore, measuring blood pressures in the upper extremities is the most pertinent action in