[Two cases of pneumothorax using the thoracic vent (TV) on an outpatient basis]

In case 1, a 73-year-old man developed dyspnea on exertion while travelling abroad. The symptom continued until the patient returned to Japan 5 days after onset and visited our clinic on the next day. SaO2 was 93% and chest radiography demonstrated pneumothorax with 75% collapse of the right lung. Insertion of a TV successfully prevented air leakage stopped within 2 days. The TV was removed after the lung collapse disappeared, as shown on the chest radiograph taken 4 days after its insertion. Case 2 occurred in a 62-year-old woman with underlying idiopathic interstitial pneumonitis, who had had dyspnea on exertion for approximately 5 years. The patient visited our clinic because the dyspnea on exertion became abruptly exacerbated. A TV was inserted after an SaO2 of 82% was measured and the chest radiograph revealed pneumothorax with a 50% collapse of the right lung. Air leakage stopped after 5 days, and the TV was removed on the 8th day after insertion. We concluded that TV is very useful for improving the QOL of patients and enables outpatient management of pneumothorax, resulting in a reduction in the cost of treatment.