1/22. Spontaneous pneumothorax: is it under tension?A diagnosis of tension pneumothorax is usually only considered within the context of trauma, incorrect chest drain insertion or positive pressure ventilation. Four patients are presented who developed spontaneous tension pneumothorax with no precipitating factors. In three of these instances, the diagnosis was only made radiologically and in every case the treating physician was unaware that a spontaneous tension pneumothorax could occur. Previously, emphasis has been placed on tracheal deviation in a tension pneumothorax. However, this is an inconsistent finding as one of the cases highlights. patients may appear surprisingly clinically well until they decompensate. These cases are highlighted to raise awareness of this potentially life threatening condition.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/22. Acute pleuritic chest pain.BACKGROUND: The differential diagnosis of acute pleuritic chest pain is large and includes a number of life threatening conditions. Clinical suspicion plays a major role in the choice of investigation and the interpretation of the results. OBJECTIVE: To outline the clinical features and diagnostic workup of three acute causes of pleuritic chest pain--acute pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax and acute pericarditis. DISCUSSION: The general practitioner plays an important role in the initiation of the investigative pathway for these conditions. Appropriate referral for ongoing assessment and care requires the primary care physician to be aware of the available investigations and their limitations.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/22. A.T.L.S. on the ski slopes--a steamboat experience.The Steamboat Mountain Ski Patrol incorporates local emergency physicians and a visiting trauma surgeon as a second-tier response to life-threatening mountain events. The case of a 48-year-old man surviving a potentially lethal postinjury tension pneumothorax and a review of the 1989-1990 major trauma experience on this ski mountain underscores the value of this concept.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/22. sports-related pneumothorax in children.pneumothorax after blunt chest trauma in the absence of rib fractures is uncommon and has only rarely been reported as a result of sporting activity. Presentation may vary from an apparently normal physical examination in the presence of a small pneumothorax to hemodynamic compromise in the presence of a tension pneumothorax. High fitness levels in athletes may result in failure to recognize symptoms and delay diagnosis, potentially increasing morbidity. It is imperative for the emergency physician to exclude pneumothorax in children who present with chest pain after blunt chest trauma from sports injury. We report our experience with and the management of 3 patients with pneumothoraces.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/22. Giant bulla mimicking pneumothorax.It is usually thought by emergency physicians that the diagnosis of a pneumothorax is straightforward and easy to make and to treat, but the diagnosis may sometimes pose a challenge. The present report describes a case of a giant pulmonary bulla in a 40-year-old man that progressed to occupy almost the entire left hemithorax and also subsequently ruptured to produce a large left pneumothorax. The giant bulla was diagnosed only as a pneumothorax, and initially managed with a chest tube only. The differentiation between pneumothorax and a giant bulla can be very difficult, and often leads to inaccurate diagnosis and management. This case report demonstrates the clinical presentation of giant bulla and its complications such as pneumothorax and also highlights the difficulty in making this diagnosis and appropriately treating it. In this article, we emphasized how to differentiate between giant bulla and pneumothorax utilizing history, physical examination, and radiological studies including computed tomography (CT) scan.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/22. diagnosis of pneumothorax on F-18 FDG PET after transbronchial biopsy.Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) is associated with pneumothorax, 12% occurring 1 to 4 hours postprocedure (delayed pneumothorax). We report a case of a delayed pneumothorax first diagnosed on a positron emission tomography (PET) scan performed 5 days after TBLB. An early post-TBLB chest radiograph (after 1 hour) had not demonstrated any pneumothorax. The delayed pneumothorax was later confirmed with a repeat radiograph after the PET scan. Often, PET is performed to diagnose or stage pulmonary lesions after TBLB rather than before. Therefore, nuclear physicians must remain vigilant to recognize subtle pneumothoraces on PET scans.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/22. Tension pyopneumothorax.Tension pyopneumothorax is a rare complication of pneumonia and subpleural abscess eroding into the pleural space. We present a case of tension pyopneumothorax in a drug addict. Successful treatment consisted of pleural drainage and parenteral antibiotics. The presence of an air-fluid level accompanying tension pneumothorax on chest radiograph should alert the physician to the possibility of this emergency condition.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/22. Do we intervene inappropriately for ST elevation?ST elevation on a 12 lead ECG is one of the cardinal features of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), yet it also occurs with other clinical conditions such as spontaneous pneumothorax. Three cases are presented, all of whom had chest pain and ST elevation. All had pneumothoraces yet only one had an AMI. Thrombolysis was administered to one patient. With the current pressure on "door-to-needle" times, emergency physicians should take care to differentiate between these entities.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/22. colonoscopy-associated pneumothorax: a case of tension pneumothorax and review of the literature.A 64-year-old woman presented with severe abdominal pain and was found to have a large fecolith in the sigmoid colon with resulting bowel obstruction. During a therapeutic colonoscopy, she developed severe shortness of breath and hypoxia, and was found to have a tension pneumothorax. We review the potential mechanisms by which pneumothorax may occur following colonoscopy. In addition, the eight previously published cases are reviewed. pneumothorax, with or without pneumomediastinum, can occur through a variety of mechanisms following colonoscopy. Although rarely reported, this may represent an underappreciated complication and should be fully investigated in the appropriate setting. colonoscopy, an exceedingly common procedure, will continue to increase with the aging population. As a result, tension pneumothorax can have a profound effect on the patient outcome and therefore physicians, both gastroenterologists and pulmonologists, should be aware of all the potential problems with this procedure.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/22. Simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax: case report.A 22-year-old previously healthy male was admitted to the emergency department for chest pain and dyspnea of 1-day's duration. He had a history of heavy smoking. The patient was cyanotic, agitated, and severely dyspneic. lung auscultation revealed severe diffuse bronchospasm and equally diminished breath sounds on both sides. Nasotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation were performed shortly after admission due to acute respiratory failure. Simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax was diagnosed from the chest x-ray, and chest tube drainage was immediately performed bilaterally. Computerized tomography of the chest 1 month later showed diffuse emphysematous bullae of the lungs. The case presented here should increase physicians' awareness of this rare form of spontaneous pneumothorax and its diverse manifestations.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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