For lungs to expand and function normally, the air pressure in between the pleural space must remain negative. In pneumothorax, the air enters the pleural space, when this happens, the lung cannot expand as it normally does, leading to lung collapse.

 

Pneumothorax Risk Factors

Types of Pneumothorax

The three different kind of Pneumothorax are: Simple or Spontaneous Pneumothorax, Traumatic and Tension Pneumothorax.

 

Simple or Spontaneous Pneumothorax occurs when air enters the pleural space after a small blisters or a small air filled area (bleb) ruptures or breaks. It may also occurs on healthy individuals in the absence of chest injuries.

 

Traumatic Pneumothorax occurs as result of injuries or chest trauma. Such as, rib fractures, penetrating chest trauma - gun shot, stab wounds and other situations that may lead to chest injuries. The air moves out of the lungs through the injured area to the pleural space, leading to lung collapse. It can also result from chest injuries from invasive procedures, like lung biopsy.

 

Tension Pneumothorax may occurs as result of other pneumothorax or injuries. The air enters the pleural space and get trapped inside. When this happens, there is increased tension inside the pleural space, causing lung to collapse. The heart and trachea may also shifts towards the un affected side of the chest (mediastinal shift).

 

Symptoms of Pneumothorax

Simple or uncomplicated pneumothorax may cause;

Large pneumothorax or collapsed lung may cause;

Pneumothorax Complications

Possible complications associated with pneumothorax include;

Pneumothorax Diagnostic Tests

Some of the tests performed to diagnose pneumothorax include;

Pneumothorax Treatment

The type of treatment given depends on the severity and what causes the pneumothorax. If only minimal respiratory distress is presence and only a small portion of the lung has collapsed, your physician may recommend frequent x-chest to monitor the lung until when the lung re-expanded and resume normal function. In such cases, you may need to be hospitalized for closer monitoring. You may also be put on supplemental oxygen during that period.

 

Thoracentesis (Needle) and Chest Tube Insertion

If a large portion of lung has collapsed, pneumothorax is usually an emergency case. The goal of treatment is directed towards evacuating the air or the blood from the pleural space. A small need may be used to aspirate the fluid and air in the plural space (thoracentesis).

 

The other way to treat pneumothorax is by insertion of a chest tube. A chest tube is inserted between the ribs to the pleural space. The chest tube is then attached to a suction device that helps in removing the blood and air from the pleural space. The chest tube is then left in place for several hours or days,  until when the lung has fully re-expanded.

 

In some instances, excessive amount of blood may enter the chest tube within a very short time. When this happens, the blood in chest tube may need to be filtered and then transfused back to the system, a process known as autotranfusion.

 

Surgery

Surgery is rarely performed since most lungs are able to re-expand and resume normal function after a chest tube drainage. As a rule of thumb, surgery (thoracotomy) is usually recommended if initially, more than 1500 mL of blood is aspirated by use of the needle (thoracentesis) or by chest tube or if the chest tube drainage continues to be more than 200mL per hour. Thoracotomy is a surgical procedure that involves opening of your chest cavity. In emergency cases, it is usually performed if a heart injury is suspected, secondary to the chest trauma.

 

Pneumothorax Prevention

There is no known specific ways to prevent pneumothorax but you can decrease your chances of developing pneumothorax by cessation of smoking and taking care of your chest to avoid injuries.