Pneumothorax

Topic: Medical-surgical

Air in the pleural space that partly or fully collapses the lung. It can be spontaneous (e.g., with lung disease such as COPD), traumatic, or caused by procedures such as central line insertion. Sudden pleuritic chest pain, dyspnea, tachypnea, and reduced or absent breath sounds on the affected side are typical. In tension pneumothorax, rising pressure in the chest pushes the trachea away from the affected side and cardiac output and blood pressure fall; this emergency needs immediate needle decompression. Sit the client upright, give oxygen as ordered and prepare for chest tube insertion.

Also known as:

Tension pneumothorax, Collapsed lung

In Turkish:

Pnömotoraks