A patient arrives at an emergency room with a traumatic pneumothorax after a car accident. In the course of the accident, the patient suffered a penetration wound, which allowed air to fill the space around one of her lungs causing it to collapse. Which serous membranes were likely damaged assuming that the lung itself was not punctured?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The parietal pleura lines the thoracic cavity and the visceral pleura surrounds the lungs. In the case of a traumatic pneumothorax without lung puncture, it is likely that the parietal pleura was damaged, allowing air to enter the pleural cavity and causing the lung to collapse. The other options (visceral pericardium, visceral peritoneum, mesenteries) are not involved in the anatomy of the thoracic cavity and would not be affected in this scenario.

A Patient Arrives at an Emergency Room with a Traumatic