Pneumothorax & effusion Flashcards
What is a pneumothorax
Air in pleural space (tension is where no air comes back out)
Common recurrence
No diving/change jobs/stop smoking/no high altitudes
Symptoms of pneumothorax
SOB, chest pain, cough, increased resp rate
Primary pneumothorax
In tall healthy young males (often smokers)
Apical bleb, tension rarely occurs
Drain/admission not always needed
Secondary pneumothorax
Background of known lung disease
Need a drain, and tension more common
Pleural Effusion
Large volumes of lubricating fluid between chest wall and pleura
Disturbances in hydrostatic and oncotic pressure, lymphatic drainage, altered permeability of pleural membranes
Signs and symptoms of pleural effusion
SOB, cough, pleuritic chest pain
Reduced breath sounds, dull percussion
Commonest causes of pleural effusion
Heart failure, pneumonia, malignancy
50% of pneumonias develop an effusion, 10% progress to empyema
Uncomplicated parapneumonic effusion
Resolve underlying pneumonia
Complicated parapneumonic effusion
Bacterial invasion into pleural space, drain needed
Fibrin deposition may form lobules
Empyema
Pus in pleural cavity - thickening of pleural surface
Treatment
Accurate diagnosis, antibiotics and chest drain if needed