|
Traumatic pneumothorax Causes and Risks:
Traumatic pneumothorax occurs when a physical injury causes the lung to collapse. It can be the result of an injury or accident (gunshot or knife wounds to the chest, automobile accidents, scuba diving accidents), or can occur following medical procedures which accidentally allows air into the pleural space. High risk medical procedures include transbronchial biopsy , pleural biopsy , thoracentesis , chest tube placement, intracostal needle anesthesia, and
esophagoscopy. The incidence is 3 out of 1,000 people.
Prevention:
Use safety measures (such as seat belts) to prevent physical injuries.
Symptoms:
Signs and Tests:
Listening to the chest with a stethoscope reveals decreased breath sounds . There may be a bluish coloration of the skin caused by lack of oxygen. The affected person may have a rapid heart rate .
Tests:
Treatment:
The goal of treatment is to remove the air from the pleural space, allowing the lung to
reexpand. Small pneumothoraces may resolve on their own.
Aspiration of air through a Teflon catheter to a vacuum bottle may re-expand the lung.
The placement of a chest tube between the ribs into the pleural space allows the evacuation of air from the pleural space when simple aspiration is not successful, or the pneumothorax is large. Re-expansion of the lung may take several days with the chest tube left in place. Hospitalization is required for chest tube management.
Surgery may be indicated to repair tears in the lungs.
Patients should stop smoking and avoid high altitudes, scuba diving, or flying in unpressurized aircraft to prevent the recurrence of
pneumothorax.
Prognosis:
There are no long-term complications following successful therapy.
Complications:
Untreated, the condition causes increasing difficulty breathing .
Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Call your health care provider if symptoms recur after treatment of a traumatic
pneumothorax.
Pneumothorax occurs when air leaks from inside of the lung to the space between the lung and the chest wall. The lung then collapses. The dark side of the chest (right side of the picture) is filled with air that is outside of the lung tissue.
|
