Medicines for Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)

What it is

A pneumothorax, or collapsed lung, happens when air leaks into the space between the lung and the chest wall, and the pressure of this trapped air causes the lung to partly or fully collapse. It causes sudden, sharp, one-sided chest pain and breathlessness, which can range from mild to severe depending on the size. It can happen spontaneously — sometimes in otherwise healthy, often tall, young people, or in people with underlying lung disease — or result from a chest injury or a medical procedure. A particularly dangerous form (a "tension" pneumothorax) is where trapped air builds up under pressure and squeezes the heart and other lung, causing severe breathlessness and collapse — a life-threatening emergency. A pneumothorax is diagnosed clinically and confirmed with a chest X-ray or scan.

How it is treated

Treatment depends on the size, the cause, the symptoms, and whether there is underlying lung disease. A small pneumothorax with mild symptoms may simply be monitored, as the air can reabsorb on its own over time, sometimes with follow-up X-rays. A larger or more symptomatic pneumothorax is treated by removing the trapped air — either by drawing it out with a needle/small tube (aspiration) or by inserting a chest drain to let the lung re-expand. A tension pneumothorax is a medical emergency needing immediate decompression. People who have recurrent pneumothoraces, or certain high-risk situations, may need a procedure to prevent it happening again. Advice is given on avoiding flying and diving for a period, and stopping smoking (which increases the risk). Care is guided by the severity and cause.