Friday, February, 10, 2012

Traumatic pneumothorax

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Collapsed lung


Symptoms

History of recent chest injury or high-risk procedure, plus:

  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Breathing, rapid
  • Chest tightness
  • Hypoxemia (low oxygen level in blood)

Signs and tests

Listening to the chest with a stethoscope may reveal decreased breath sounds on one side of the chest. There may be a bluish coloration of the skin caused by lack of oxygen. The affected person may have a rapid heart rate.

Tests:

  • Chest x-ray
  • Pulse oximetry
  • Arterial blood gas

Review Date: 08/11/2005
Reviewed By: Joseph P. Hart, M.D., Marco Polo Traveling Fellow c/o Department of Vascular Surgery, A. Z. St. Blasius Hospital (Belgium). Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)