A 31-year-old man was stabbed in the chest during an altercation at a bar. He is semiconscious and has shallow breathing. As your partner assists the patient's ventilations, you perform a rapid assessment and find a single stab wound to the left anterior chest with minimal bleeding. Breath sounds on the side of the injury are markedly diminished. You should:

A. request a paramedic unit to perform a needle chest decompression.
B. cover the wound with an occlusive dressing and continue your assessment.
C. advise your partner to ventilate the patient with a manually-triggered device.
D. reassess the status of the patient's airway and the adequacy of his breathing.

Answer: B. cover the wound with an occlusive dressing and continue your assessment.