Atelectasis refers to the partial collapse of a lung . Atelectasis is normally because of a blockage of the airways , unreasonable pressure in the lung or an increase in fluid in the lungs . While pneumothorax also refers to a collapsed lung , it differs from atelectasis as it is triggered by a puncture in the liner of the lungs . This perforation of the pleural membrane that protects the lungs leads to an air stream in the thoracic cavity and a subsequent crash of the lung . Since a crash of the lung reduces the amount of atomic number 8 supplied to various parts of the consistency , both pneumothorax and atelectasis are potentially fatal diseases if left untreated .
Causes of Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax can develop as a result of :
-Some type of injury or trauma , such as a fracture of the rib or being shot or stabbed in the chest .
-Other lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) , asthma , chronic bronchitis , and cystic fibrosis could make a spontaneous breach of the lung .
-Smoking wont .
-A history of respiratory diseases and collapsed lungs .
-Low and very high weight can also make a person more susceptible to pneumothorax .
Causes of Atelectasis
Atelectasis is a vulgar side effect of worldwide anesthesia or operating theater . the great unwashed who have been confined to the quietus seam can also grow this condition . Other causal agent of atelectasis include : The mucus jade , a blockage due to inhaled foreign textile , difficultness breathing , pulmonary embolism , other lung disease , the pleural effusion , tumor , premature parentage , lung cancer , congestive nitty-gritty failure , obesity , and pneumothorax can also be a reason of atelectasis .
Symptoms of Pneumothorax and Atelectasis
Since both consideration involve a lung crash , the symptom are similar . symptom can deviate from mild and hardly detectable to knockout or inveterate . These include Difficulty external respiration , inveterate cough , difficulty external respiration , chest infliction , dresser tightness , blue lips or finger due to lack of oxygen , fatigue duty , low lineage imperativeness , and rapid pulsation .
Diagnosis and Treatment of Pneumothorax and Atelectasis
To diagnose the condition , a strong-arm examination and a breast decade - beam are necessary . In improver , computed imaging scan of the chest or a bronchoscopy can be do as well .
Treating atelectasis and pneumothorax depends on the severity of the symptom and the cause of the status . If the patient can not suspire or suffers from a spartan want of atomic number 8 , cannulization and hospital care may be call for . Other methods of treatment include :
-Postural drainage in cases of excess fluid collected in the lungs .
-Chest punctures to release air from the thoracic cavity as a result of pneumothorax .
-Surgery to remediate damage to your dresser and lungs .
-Oxygen therapy .
-Deep breathing exercise , let in incentive spirometry .
-Bronchoscopy to eliminate any obstruction or obstruction . It is a medical test performed by mean of a bronchoscope , a equipment that consists of a tube and of very variable distance , depend on the age of the patient , which has a video tv camera at its end .
-Physical therapy like a eruption or a cough to empty the mucous secretion ballyhoo in the lungs .
Recovery from pneumothorax or atelectasis can take sentence . In cases where symptom are meek , discourse may also not be necessary as a circumstance tends to resolve and breathing is not compromise . Care must be make to avoid any infection during the convalescence phase , as people with a collapsed lung are more susceptible to pneumonia . Sometimes antibiotic may be prescribe to prevent this from happening . The risk of conditions such as atelectasis and pneumothorax growth when there is a long delay in diagnosing and treatment . Respiratory weather condition need immediate medical attention since the right functioning of the lung is essential for the provision of oxygen to the different parts of the body .
Both pneumothorax and atelectasis have in common the power to harass a lung flop ; the differences are the mechanisms that originate them . In the first case , it is mostly make by some hurt or hurt , while atelectasis can be a side essence of anaesthesia or OR by a blockage of the airways .
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