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Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Preoxygenation Techniques for Tracheal Intubation in Critically Ill Adults Utilizing Oxygen Mask and Noninvasive Ventilation
Published on: December 5, 2025
Tension pneumothorax and cardiac arrest from an improvised oxygen delivery system
David B Wax1, Sabrina Bhagwan, Yaakov Beilin
1Department of Anesthesiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. david.wax@mssm.edu
Abstract:
An improvised mechanism for delivering supplemental oxygen to a spontaneously breathing, tracheally intubated patient set the stage for a case of barotrauma, bilateral tension pneumothorax, and cardiovascular collapse. Diagnosis and treatment was delayed by failed needle decompression of the pneumothoraces. Recommendations are made regarding the prevention and treatment of this complication to improve patient safety.
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