A vented chest wound seal for a penetrating chest wound includes a flexible sheet including a top surface and a bottom surface, an adhesive hydrogel layer covering a portion of the bottom surface of the flexible sheet, and a plurality of vent channels. The adhesive hydrogel layer includes an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter, and the outer perimeter forms a continuous perimeter of hydrogel along a bottom surface of the flexible sheet. A plurality of vent channels, each including a first opening to a space inside of the inner perimeter, extend radially outward to an outer terminal end vent to the top surface of the flexible sheet. The outer terminal end is spaced apart from the outer perimeter of the adhesive hydrogel layer towards the central portion of the chamber.