Talk:Pneumothorax

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Question: What are the long-term effects of having a collapsed lung? How long does it usually take for a 25 year old male to recover from having a collapsed lung? 128.118.239.69 00:22, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

The length of time to recover from a collapsed lung is related more to the degree of collapse(ie. the size of the pneumothorax) than to the patient's age. Respiratory physicians inform me that the time it takes for a pneumothorax to be reabsorbed is approximately 1 day per %size of pneumothorax - a 10% pneumothorax will resolve spontaneously in 10 days, a 30% pneumothorax in a month. This is assuming that there is no further air leak. Ongoing air leak will of course delay this process. In terms of a "collapsed lung", the time to resolution will depend on the underlying cause. Cancers and severe pneumonias will tend not to resolve if left untreated. 58.165.234.170 19:08, 9 August 2007 (UTC)

Is there any evidence that spontaneous pneumothorax is related to Marfan's syndrome? The article mentions height and connective tissue weakness as factors, which suggest a connection to me. 129.2.211.72 03:27, 9 Oct 2004 (UTC)

There is certainly an association, but the height is an independent risk factor. PMID 6732339 goes into the details (1984), but PMID 7300447 establishes that height without Marfanism is also a risk factor. JFW | T@lk 20:46, 9 Oct 2004 (UTC)
There is a sort of direct connection, in that Marfans Syndrome Sufferers have generally weaker connective tissue, this can be known to cause the air top escape from the lung into the chest cavity and a spontaneous pneumothorax. This is (Im am told) is only the case in a very small number of cases, most marfans sufferers who suffer a spontaneous pneumothorax, it is usually caused by the slight deformity in the rib cage and their tall, thin build. Anywho, I suffer from Marfans Syndrome and Recurrent Spontaneous Pneumothorax, and that is what I have been told. M

Does anyone know of any reference to the "flopping" sound mentioned by the article? I remember when I had a couple of pneumos, when laying on my back, there would be a clicking/popping sound with each ventricular contraction. I never found any reference to it at the time when I was researching. Potkettle 13:56, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] tension pneumothorax

Tension pneumothorax is condition serious enough that I believe it deserves a bit more attention.

I also inserted a bit more about percussion in diagnosis, as simply having no breath sounds can indicate consolidation rather than pneumothorax.

Also, thoracentesis is usually considered a distinct procedure from tube thoracostomy.

DocJohnny 00:28, 22 November 2005 (UTC)

Tension pneumothorax is what you want. JFW | T@lk 01:18, 22 November 2005 (UTC)
Thank you. I have cleaned up the article and added links to the tension article.DocJohnny 02:33, 22 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Incorrectly Labelled Image

The top-right main image with a chest x-ray is labelled a right-sided tension pneumothorax. Yet the image description labels it as left sided. Futher examination shows a shift of the mediastinal contents to the right side, seemingly confirming a left-sided pneumothorax. Am I mistaken or just being overcautious? --210.49.163.248 09:17, 30 March 2007 (UTC) (a confused med student)


Thanks for changing the image. --210.49.196.230 13:42, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Readability for the lay person

I was looking up "Collapsed lung" and got redirected to Pneumothorax, which I assume is the same thing as a collapsed lung - the introduction didn't say anything about this being the same as a collapsed lung, so I wasn't sure. The first paragraph seems like it's directed toward medical students instead of lay people like me. The Pathophysiology section seems a bit better. Could someone who knows what they're doing help the first paragraph be more friendly to us lay persons? The rest can remain technical but a friendly introduction would probably be the only part that is read by a lay person anyway. Thanks! --Rcronk 21:44, 19 March 2007 (UTC

Isnt collapsed lung different to pneumothorax? I agree the top paragraph is confusing. sara
The article now mentions "collapsed lung" in the intro paragraph, whereas previously it didn't. A pneumothorax is the most common type of collapsed lung, but there are others.Potkettle 16:32, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

A pneumothorax is air in a potential space in the lung called the pleura cavity. its the bit between the lung and the ribcage. If there's enough air there it can push on the lung and cause part or all of it to collapse. There are lots of other things that can make a lung collapse, including things like mases, or pneumonia. In essence pneumothorax and collapsed lung are are often linked, but not the same thing. samantha 15th april 2007

The introduction is now much better and gives a lay person a basic understanding of what this is. Looks good - thanks! --Rcronk 19:03, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Future Health Issues

Are there any health issues that a patient who suffered a pneumothorax can face later on in life?? I've heard they can have a higher risk of suffering lung problems i.e. decreased lung capacity, pneumothorax again, et cetera, and bad blood circulation. Is this true? When I was born I suffered a double pneumothorax. So I'm just wondering.Frills 03:50, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

Sorry, this is an encyclopedia in the making, not a forum. If you find an answer to your question, could you post useful sources here please? JFW | T@lk 21:37, 17 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] bagpipes

Now and then I come across the story of a teenage boy who gave himself a pneumothorax of some sort while playing bagpipes, in particular, the Great Highland Bagpipes. The story usually goes something like this: The boy was practicing for a longer stretch than usual, then experienced a sharp pain in the shoulders whereupon he put down his pipes. The next morning he wakes up and finds that his neck is painfully enlarged (sometimes grotesquely) and makes crackling sounds when touched. This is attributed to something blowing out in the lungs and air getting into the neck. It may be important to note that it's normal for the neck to bulge out slightly when playing the pipes due to the effort of blowing. Is this sort of injury possible? Frotz (talk) 09:24, 27 November 2007 (UTC)