A 6-foot-tall, 130-pound, 22-year-old female patient has come to the emergency department with a complaint of a sudden sharp pain in the right upper chest followed by shortness of breath. She was participating in deep breathing exercises in her yoga class when this happened. The physician has determined that she has a 15% pneumothorax. How should it be classified?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A pneumothorax is the presence of air in the pleural space (the space between the lung and the chest wall). A spontaneous pneumothorax occurs without any clear cause or injury, which appears to be the case for this patient based on the presentation. An open pneumothorax would involve an open wound in the chest wall that allows air to enter the pleural space, which is not the case for this patient. Exercise-related and traumatic pneumothoraces are potential causes, but the given clinical presentation suggests a spontaneous pneumothorax.

A 6-Foot-Tall, 130-Pound, 22-Year-Old Female Patient Has Come to the Emergency