Related Experiment Videos
Percussion--a new way to diagnose a pneumothorax
1Adult Intensive Care Unit, Queen's Medical Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
British Journal of Anaesthesia
|March 4, 2000
Summary
A new clinical sign for diagnosing pneumothorax during mechanical ventilation was identified. This sternal percussion and auscultation method aids in detecting air in the chest, especially in supine patients.
Area of Science:
- Critical Care Medicine
- Pulmonology
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Mechanical ventilation in intensive care units (ICUs) can lead to pneumothorax.
- Diagnosing pneumothorax can be challenging, with imaging sometimes being inconclusive.
Observation:
- A case series of three patients experiencing pneumothorax during mechanical ventilation is presented.
- All patients were in the supine position, complicating diagnosis.
Findings:
- A novel clinical sign involving sternal percussion and simultaneous auscultation was observed.
- This technique reliably identified pneumothorax in the studied patients, even when X-rays were inconclusive.
Implications:
- This method offers a potentially rapid and accessible bedside diagnostic tool for pneumothorax.
- It may improve early detection and management of ventilator-associated pneumothorax in supine patients.