Tension Pneumothorax Quiz
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Reviewed By:
Maxwell J. Nanes, DO (Emergency Medicine)
Dr Nanes received a doctorate from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete a residency in emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. There he trained at Froedtert Hospital and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in the practice of adult and pediatric emergency medicine. He was a chief resident and received numerous awards for teaching excellence during his time there. | | After residency he took a job at a community hospital where he and his colleagues worked through the toughest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Eisaku Kamakura, MD (Pulmonology)
Dr. Kamakura graduated from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, School of Dentistry, and the Niigata University School of Medicine. He trained at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital and held positions in the Respiratory Medicine departments at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Ome City General Hospital, and Musashino Red Cross Hospital. In 2021, he became the specially appointed assistant professor at the Department of General Medicine, Niigata University School of Medicine.
Content updated on Mar 31, 2024
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With an easy 3-min questionnaire , Ubie's AI-powered system will generate a free report on possible causes.
Questions are customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
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Crackling sensation when pressing the skin over the neck
Chest skin feels like bubble wrap
Shortness of breath when lying down
Air under the skin on the neck
Fine crunching sound when pressing on the skin of the chest
Breathing out is easy but breathing in is difficult
Neck skin feels like bubble wrap
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Developed by doctors.
What is Tension Pneumothorax?
A pneumothorax is the leakage of air from the lungs into the space around the lungs and heart. In a tension pneumothorax, this pressure builds up and can cause life-threatening blood flow problems in the heart and lungs. Risk factors include smoking, emphysema, and genetic diseases.
Typical Symptoms of Tension Pneumothorax
Subcutaneous crepitus
Feeling breathless
Pain across my entire chest
Tachycardia
History of recent injury to the chest
Systolic pressure is 80 mmHg or below, or unreadable
Chest pain
Left-sided chest pain
Doctor's Diagnostic Questionson Tension Pneumothorax
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
Are you having difficulty breathing?
Do you have pain over your entire chest?
Did you injure your chest in the past month?
Is your systolic blood pressure 80 mmHg or below, or unreadable?
Do you have chest pain?
Treatmentof Tension Pneumothorax
Emergency medical care is required. A needle or tube is placed in the chest to release the excess air and pressure. In recurrent cases, a procedure or surgery may be performed to permanently seal the air leak.
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Tension Pneumothorax
View the symptoms of Tension Pneumothorax
Diseases related to Tension Pneumothorax
References
Roberts DJ, Leigh-Smith S, Faris PD, Blackmore C, Ball CG, Robertson HL, Dixon E, James MT, Kirkpatrick AW, Kortbeek JB, Stelfox HT. Clinical Presentation of Patients With Tension Pneumothorax: A Systematic Review. Ann Surg. 2015 Jun;261(6):1068-78. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000001073. PMID: 25563887.
https://journals.lww.com/annalsofsurgery/Fulltext/2015/06000/Clinical_Presentation_of_Patients_With_Tension.9.aspx
Bethel J. Tension pneumothorax. Emerg Nurse. 2008 Jul;16(4):26-9. doi: 10.7748/en2008.07.16.4.26.c6606. PMID: 18672788.
https://rcnpublishing.com/doi/abs/10.7748/en2008.07.16.4.26.c6606
Barton ED. Tension pneumothorax. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 1999 Jul;5(4):269-74. doi: 10.1097/00063198-199907000-00016. PMID: 10407699.
https://journals.lww.com/co-pulmonarymedicine/Abstract/1999/07000/Tension_pneumothorax.16.aspx
Sukumar SM. An atypical tension pneumothorax. Clin Med (Lond). 2020 Mar;20(Suppl 2):s52. doi: 10.7861/clinmed.20-2-s52. PMID: 32409372; PMCID: PMC7243505.
https://www.rcpjournals.org/content/clinmedicine/20/Suppl_2/s52
User Testimonials
Reviewed By:
Maxwell J. Nanes, DO (Emergency Medicine)
Dr Nanes received a doctorate from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete a residency in emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. There he trained at Froedtert Hospital and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in the practice of adult and pediatric emergency medicine. He was a chief resident and received numerous awards for teaching excellence during his time there. | | After residency he took a job at a community hospital where he and his colleagues worked through the toughest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Eisaku Kamakura, MD (Pulmonology)
Dr. Kamakura graduated from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, School of Dentistry, and the Niigata University School of Medicine. He trained at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital and held positions in the Respiratory Medicine departments at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Ome City General Hospital, and Musashino Red Cross Hospital. In 2021, he became the specially appointed assistant professor at the Department of General Medicine, Niigata University School of Medicine.
Think you might have
Tension Pneumothorax
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Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery
Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Associates
