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Persistent pneumothorax treated with continuous positive airway pressure
1Department of Anaesthesia, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Scotland.
Anaesthesia
|September 1, 1987
Summary
Persistent pneumothorax after chest trauma can be challenging. Intermittent continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) effectively achieved complete lung re-expansion when chest drains alone failed.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Trauma Surgery
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Blunt chest trauma can lead to persistent pneumothorax, a serious complication.
- Standard treatment involves chest drain insertion and suction, but may not always achieve full lung re-expansion.
Observation:
- A patient with persistent pneumothorax following blunt chest trauma showed only partial lung re-expansion with chest drain suction.
- Certain areas of the lung remained collapsed despite initial treatment.
Findings:
- Intermittent application of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) was initiated for the patient.
- This intervention led to complete re-expansion of the collapsed lung segments.
Implications:
- CPAP may be a valuable adjunct therapy for managing persistent pneumothorax refractory to chest drain suction.
- This approach could improve outcomes for patients with traumatic pneumothorax.
- Further research into CPAP's role in managing persistent pneumothorax is warranted.