Word parts
What it means
Air leaks into the pleural space, the thin space between the lung and the inside of the chest wall, so the lung cannot stay open. It can follow chest injury, a procedure such as a central line insertion, a ventilator, or happen on its own when a small blister on the lung bursts. In a tension pneumothorax, air keeps building up and pushes on the heart and the other lung; this is an emergency.
For the nurse
Report sudden shortness of breath, chest pain on one side, falling oxygen saturation or breath sounds missing on one side. A large pneumothorax is treated with a chest tubechest toobA tube placed through the chest wall into the space around the lung to drain air, blood or fluid.Full entry . A shifted trachea with low blood pressure suggests tension pneumothorax: get help at once.
At a glance
| Spanish | neumotórax |
|---|
Related terms
dyspnea
Difficult or labored breathing, or the feeling of not getting enough air.
pulmonary
Relating to the lungs.
central venous catheter
An IV catheter whose tip sits in a large vein near the heart, used for long-term drugs, fluids, nutrition or blood draws.
chest tube
A tube placed through the chest wall into the space around the lung to drain air, blood or fluid.