Tension pneumothorax

Disease	Injury	Nutrition	Poison

Special Topic	Surgery	Symptoms	Test

Pneumothorax - chest X-ray

Respiratory system

Chest tube insertion - series

Tension pneumothorax

Alternative Names:

Pneumothorax - tension

Symptoms:

sudden chest pain
shortness of breath
chest tightness
easy fatigue
bluish color of the skin due to lack of oxygen
rapid heart rate
low blood pressure
decreased mental alertness
consciousness, decreased
breathing, rapid
distended neck veins (the veins in the neck appear to bulge)

Signs and tests:

Physical examination may show decreased breath sounds when listening to the chest with a stethoscope. Structures in the mediastinum (center of the chest) may appear shifted. Subcutaneous emphysema (air trapped in the subcutaneous tissue of the chest wall) may be present, causing a spongy feeling when the chest is felt with the hands (palpation).

In general, if a health care provider suspects tension pneumothorax, treatment should start before diagnostic tests are done. Nonetheless, some tests may help confirm the diagnosis if there is doubt or to assess the severity of the situation:

Tests used in the diagnosis of tension pneumothorax include:

a chest X-ray
arterial blood gases
electrocardiogram

Review Date: 12/6/2001
Reviewed By: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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