Patients experiencing penetrating thoracic trauma presenting with a significant pneumothorax with a continuous air leak through the chest tube should be suspected of having what type of problem?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Patients with penetrating thoracic trauma presenting with a significant pneumothorax with a continuous air leak through the chest tube should be suspected of having major airway injuries.The majority of these patients will be found to have a pneumomediastinum on plain chest radiographs or chest CT scans.Airway penetration should be confirmed by bronchoscopy.

Patients Experiencing Penetrating Thoracic Trauma Presenting with a Significant Pneumothorax