Pneumothorax: Symptoms, causes, diagnoses and treatment - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

About This Presentation
Title:

Pneumothorax: Symptoms, causes, diagnoses and treatment

Description:

Pneumothorax, also referred to as lung collapse, is the result of unwanted air trapped around the lungs. – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:202

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Pneumothorax: Symptoms, causes, diagnoses and treatment


1
Pneumothorax
2
Pneumothorax
  • Pneumothorax, also referred to as lung collapse,
    is the result of unwanted air trapped around the
    lungs. The lung collapses as it cannot expand in
    the normal fashion, due to presence of unwanted
    air/gas. This condition can be categorized into
    three types, namely, spontaneous, tension, and
    trauma pneumothorax.

3
Causes of Pneumothorax
  • Numerous reasons can cause collection of air/gas
    around the lungs. The air trapped can be air from
    outside the body or from the lung itself. 
  • Spontaneous This has sudden symptoms and is not
    a result of sustained injury to lungs. It has two
    types - primary and secondary. The former is
    observed in people who do not have any medical
    history of any lung disease. Smoking is
    considered as its chief cause. Proximity to loud
    sound, scuba diving, sudden change in atmospheric
    pressure, etc., can be some other contributing
    factors. The latter is observed in people who
    already suffer from a lung disorder, such
    as COPD, asthma, etc. COPD has been observed to
    be the most common reason.
  • Trauma Any injury to the lungs or the chest wall
    causes this condition. It can be a result of
    gunshot, accident, or any direct injury to the
    lung. Medical surgeries, like open lung biopsy or
    any other lung surgery may also be a reason.

4
Causes of Pneumothorax
Continue
  • Tension This leads to complete lung collapse,
    i.e., both the lungs can collapse. The air
    trapped outside the lung is unable to escape, and
    hence, the amount of the air collected goes on
    increasing with every breath. This is a rare
    condition that builds extreme pressure in the
    chest and may cause shock, low blood pressure,
    and if it gets more severe and is not treated
    soon, it may cause death.

5
Symptoms
  • The symptoms depend on the amount of air trapped
    outside the lung. The following list gives the
    common symptoms Severe chest pain that gives a
    feeling of getting stabbed.
  • Patient may feel breathless or face shortness of
    breath.
  • Skin colour becomes bluish, due to lack of
    oxygen.
  • Low blood pressure
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Cough
  • Fatigue

6
Diagnosis of Pneumothorax
  • A stethoscope is used for physical examination
    of the patient. The breathing pattern is examined
    and usually the stethoscope alone proves useful
    to confirm the diagnosis. Chest X-rays are used
    sometimes to confirm the diagnosis, to reveal the
    amount of air trapped. Arterial blood gas
    test may also be performed, as it helps in
    assessing the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide
    in the blood.

7
Treatments
  • Generally, primary spontaneous pneumothorax
    cures on its own, if the amount of air trapped is
    very less. In such cases, X-rays can prove to be
    helpful to cross check if the air has escaped.
    Treatments are aimed at removing the unwanted
    air. When the air trapped is large in amount and
    it causes serious breathing problems, then the
    removal of air becomes mandatory. Chest tube
    treatments are widely used to remove the excess
    air/gas. The patient needs to be hospitalized,
    when the chest tube is inserted. The chest tube
    helps the air to flow out. If a person is
    frequently suffering from this problem, surgery
    can help to prevent further complications.
    Tension pneumothorax is fatal and may cause death
    within few minutes if not treated on time.
    Pneumothorax due to injury to the lung should be
    treated immediately. In most cases, the trapped
    air can be removed easily but, there are also 50
    chances of the air getting trapped in the
    future. 

8
Treatments
Continue
  • People having medical history of lung
    diseases should take proper care and consult a
    physician for prevention. Spontaneous
    pneumothorax can be prevented by avoiding
    smoking. Proper treatment and prevention can help
    reduce severe symptoms of the disease.

9
CONNECT WITH US
  • Logon to
  • www.lazoi.com
  • Like us on Facebook
  • https//www.facebook.com/LazoiTheLife
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • https//www.twitter.com/lazoithelife
  • Follow us on Pinterest
  • https//www.in.pinterest.com/lazoithelife
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com