Pneumothorax

A pneumothorax is a condition in which air gets trapped between the lungs and the chest wall. This pressure causes the lung to collapse inward onto itself. As member of both the Army National Guard and Army ROTC, I am very interested in this topic since it is a serious injury that can occur due to traumas on the battlefield. In army lingo, this injury is referred to as a sucking chest wound. We are instructed to treat it during basic combat lifesaving courses. I understand that medical treatment in a hospital for this type of injury is different and am interesting in learning more about it and the differences in treatment. I am also curious about exactly how these injuries can occur and ways to prevent them. This is especially important since it is a risk to all soldiers, whom I will be in charge of when I commission as a second lieutenant this upcoming May. There are some factors that I already know of that we are told to look for that may cause a thoracic injury such as a pneumothorax. Any fall greater than roughly three times the height of the patient is one possible cause. Blast injuries as well as gunshot wounds to…

A pneumothorax is when air is present in the pleural space which results in a partial or complete collapse of a lung (Crimlisk, 2010). There are three classifications of a pneumothorax which include open, closed, and tension. An open pneumothorax occurs when an opening in the chest wall allows air to enter into the pleural space which occurs from chest traumas like stabbings and gun shots, or surgical thoracotomies (Crimlisk, 2010). A closed pneumothorax is when air accumulates in the pleural…

Case study This case study is going to describe the details of a chest examination undertaken on a 36 year old man who was involved in a road traffic collision (RTC) from the emergency department. The request card for the examination had the following clinical details: 'Cyclist involved in RTC, query pneumothorax'. Pneumothorax is a condition whereby the pleural cavity holds an accumulation of air resulting in the collapse of the lungs due to the pressure exerted on the lungs by the air…

c. Chronic bronchitis: Yes/No d. Emphysema: Yes/No e. Pneumonia: Yes/No f. Tuberculosis: Yes/No g. Silicosis: Yes/No h. Pneumothorax (collapsed lung): Yes/No i. Lung cancer: Yes/No j. Broken ribs: Yes/No k. Any chest injuries or surgeries: Yes/No l. Any other lung problem that you've been told about: Yes/No 4. Do you currently have any of the following symptoms of pulmonary or lung illness? a. Shortness of breath: Yes/No b. Shortness of breath when walking fast on level ground or walking up a…

Consequently, the addition of more cells can prove disastrous. With less room available, air cannot “move freely in and out of the lungs. In some cases, this means the lungs can’t supply the body’s other organs with enough oxygen” (“What Is LAM? - NHLBI, NIH.”). Therefore, LAM can be considered a “multisystem” disorder with symptoms affecting various parts of the body (“Lymphangioleiomyomatosis - NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders).”). The symptoms, and the severity of them, depends…

will not fall asleep in my class. If you feel tired, you will get up and go stand in the back of the classroom. You will not talk. You will not eye-fuck my classroom. You will pay attention to every word.” Next to me, Anderson is rocking back and forth from one knee to the other as he sits cross-legged on the mat, “”I can’t go back, I can’t go back, I can’t, I can’t,” he repeats over and over under his breath. I want to ask what the fuck is wrong with him as he begins to shiver uncontrollably,…

Chest tube thoracostomy or chest tube placement may be indicated for chest traumas that include pneumothorax or hemothorax. A pneumothorax occurs when the resting negative pressure in the pleural space is lost leading to lung collapse. Pneumothoraces can occur spontaneously (primary pneumothorax) or because of penetrating or blunt trauma (secondary pneumothorax). In penetrating trauma, the open wound allows air to enter the pleural space from the atmosphere. Blunt chest trauma can result in…

Post-Biopsy Care and Complications: After the procedure is done, the skin nick is cleaned and dressed, and a repeat scan is obtained to rule out the presence of a pneumothorax. Most institutions obtain two post-biopsy chest radiographs, one immediate baseline and a repeat 2-3-hour study, to ensure no enlarging pneumothorax. The patients are observed until the follow up radiograph is obtained while fasting in case a chest tube insertion is needed (Fig. 5). The patient is discharged if the follow…

Spontaneous Pneumothorax Spontaneous pneumothorax can be classified as either primary or secondary. Each type of spontaneous pneumothorax has a particular pathology and incidence that, in each case, leads to a particular way of treatment and monitoring. In general, a pneumothorax occurs when there is air present in the pleural cavity of the lung, however the underlying cause of this pathology varies among the different classifications. Surgical or non-surgical approaches are taken, depending on…

According to the journal article Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax: which associated conditions benefit from pigtail catheter treatment, you assess the effectiveness of pigtail catheter drainage for patient with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax. As in the book Clinical Manifestations and Assessment of Respiratory Disease mentioned pneumothorax is subdivided into primary and secondary. Primary pneumothorax arises in healthy people without a history of lung disease. Secondary pneumothorax…