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Pneumothorax Essay

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At the time of the exam the patient seemed to be in fair condition, while previously having had a lobectomy of the right lung due to a malignant neoplasm. After taking the initial PA radiograph, it was clear that the patient had a large amount of air in their right lung cavity. Radiographically, this appeared as an area of the lung apex which had none of the typical lung markings you would expect to see. This is a sign the patient had a condition known as pneumothorax, (pg. 75) which was later confirmed by the radiologist and reported to the patient’s doctor. To understand what pneumothorax is and how it forms, it helps to understand the anatomy and physiology of the lung and its accompanying structures. The lung itself, is basically an elastic sack which is surrounded by another sack which is known as the parietal pleura. An analogy which may be helpful in visualizing this structure would be to think of the pleura as a balloon and the lung as your fist. When you press your fist into the balloon, the balloon doubles over and forms a doubled walled membrane around your fist with a space in the middle. This is the same form of structure which surrounds the lungs. The physiology which is important to know is that when the body inhales, the diagraph drops and ribs expand outward. This creates a low-pressure area within the …show more content…
In cases of small primary pneumothorax generally nothing is done, and the condition resolves itself after a week or two. However, in the case of a large pneumothorax the air must be removed through either aspiration or through a chest tube inserted into the pleural cavity. After the air is removed treatment of the condition in which caused the pneumothorax must be initiated. Prognosis for a primary pneumothorax is generally good. Secondary pneumothorax when caused by another disease is a serious condition and it can lead to an increased risk of mortality.

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