Pneumothorax

Question 1

What is a pneumothorax?

Answer 1

Air in the pleural space

Question 2

Where specifically is the air in a pneumothorax?

Answer 2

Between the visceral and the parietal pleura

Question 3

What are the symptoms of Pneumothorax?

Answer 3

Sudden breathlessness
Sharp Pleuritic Pain
Tachypnoea
Cyanosis

Question 4

What are the signs of Pneumothorax?

• Air Entry
• Resonance

Answer 4

Decreased air entry

Hyperresonance

Question 5

What are the different types of Pneumothorax?

Answer 5

Spontaneous
Secondary
Traumatic
Tension

Question 6

Describe spontaneous (primary) pneumothorax?

Answer 6

Caused by a rupture of subpleural air cysts called BLEBS

Causes hole in lung and air rushes into lung cavity

Question 7

Most common presentation of primary pneumothorax?

Answer 7

Tall thin man
Indulges in marijuana
(Snoop Dog)

Question 8

Most common type of Pneumothorax?

Answer 8

Spontaneous

Question 9

Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax?

Answer 9

Small = Watchful Waiting
Medium = Aspiration
Complete = Aspiration/Chest Drain

Question 10

Describe secondary pneumothorax?

Answer 10

This is pneumothorax secondary to respiratory disease

Question 11

Describe secondary pneumothorax causes?

Answer 11

COPD
Asthma
Pneumonia
CF

Question 12

Describe epidemiology of secondary pneumothorax?

Answer 12

Increases with age

Question 13

Describe treatment of secondary pneumothorax?

Answer 13

Always requires a chest drain

Question 14

Describe Traumatic Pneumothorax?

Answer 14

This occurs following chest trauma. May be caused by a fractured rib (penetrating) or blunt (car crash)

Question 15

Describe how common traumatic pneumothorax is?

Answer 15

Not as common as spontaneous

Question 16

Describe treatment of traumatic pneumothorax?

Answer 16

Mild = Observe and consider chest drain
Severe = Chest Drain

Question 17

Describe a tension pneumothorax?

Answer 17

This is when air accumulates in the pleural cavity and causes mediastinal shift AWAY from the collapsed lung. Causes compression of the functioning lung

Question 18

Treatment of tension pneumothorax?

Answer 18

Immediate drainage with a needle in the 2nd intercostal space, midclavicular line
- HISS
Chest Drain

Question 19

What is the most likely type of Pneumothorax?
Tall thin man, smokes a lot has sudden breathless, pleuritic chest pain
Treatment?

Answer 19

SPONTANEOUS
Mild = Observe
Moderate = Aspiration
Massive = Chest Drain

Question 20

Man has been in car crash, sudden breathlessness and pleuritic pain?
Treatment?

Answer 20

Traumatic Pneumothorax
Mild = Observe and consider chest drain
Moderate = Chest Drain

Question 21

Male with COPD has sudden breathlessness and pleuritic pain?

Treatment?

Answer 21

Secondary Pneumothorax

Chest Drain

Question 22

Man has had line insertion then sudden breathlessness and pleuritic chest pain?
Treatment?

Answer 22

Traumatic Pneumothorax

Chest Drain