How can you tell the difference between pneumothorax and tension pneumothorax?
Table of Contents
- 1 How can you tell the difference between pneumothorax and tension pneumothorax?
- 2 How do you recognize cardiac tamponade?
- 3 How do you rule out tension pneumothorax?
- 4 Can tension pneumothorax cause cardiac tamponade?
- 5 How is a tension pneumothorax created?
- 6 What are the signs of tension pneumothorax?
How can you tell the difference between pneumothorax and tension pneumothorax?
Pneumothorax is when air collects in between the parietal and viscera pleurae resulting in lung collapse. It can happen secondary to trauma (traumatic pneumothorax). When mediastinal shifts accompany it, it is called a tension pneumothorax.
How do you recognize cardiac tamponade?
Cardiac tamponade has the following symptoms:
- anxiety and restlessness.
- low blood pressure.
- weakness.
- chest pain radiating to your neck, shoulders, or back.
- trouble breathing or taking deep breaths.
- rapid breathing.
- discomfort that’s relieved by sitting or leaning forward.
- fainting, dizziness, and loss of consciousness.
What are the three classic signs of pericardial tamponade?
The three classic signs of cardiac tamponade, which doctors refer to as Beck’s triad, are:
- low blood pressure in the arteries.
- muffled heart sounds.
- swollen or bulging neck veins, called distended veins.
How do you rule out tension pneumothorax?
How do you diagnose tension pneumothorax? Diagnosis of tension pneumothorax should be suspected in individuals with respiratory distress, tracheal deviation, distended neck veins, low blood pressure, and decreased or absent breath sounds upon lung auscultation.
Can tension pneumothorax cause cardiac tamponade?
Tension pneumothorax may mimic cardiac tamponade.
What is pulsus paradoxus?
Pulsus paradoxus is defined as a fall of systolic blood pressure of >10 mmHg during the inspiratory phase.
How is a tension pneumothorax created?
Tension pneumothorax develops when a lung or chest wall injury is such that it allows air into the pleural space but not out of it (a one-way valve).
What are the signs of tension pneumothorax?
Tension Pneumothorax
- Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, and a racing heart, followed by shock.
- Doctors can usually diagnose tension pneumothorax based on the person’s history, symptoms, and examination results.
- Doctors immediately insert a large needle into the chest to remove the air.