Date post: | 15-Jun-2015 |
Category: |
Health & Medicine |
Upload: | jeku-jacob |
View: | 668 times |
Download: | 3 times |
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Pneumothorax
CLASSIFICATION
• Primary spontaneous• Secondary spontaneous• Traumatic• Tension• Definition- injury to the lung resulting in
release of air into the intrapleural space(between the parietal and visceral pleura)
Primary spontaneous
• Tall thin people• Age; 20-30 years old• Smokers- occurrence increases directly with
the number of cigarettes smoked per day• Familial• Presentation
– Sudden onset SOB– Associated with chest pain
Secondary spontaneous
• Underlying pulmonary pathology• Most commonly seen in COPD patients• Other causes include
– Sarcoidosis– Tuberculosis– Cystic fibrosis– Malignancy– Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Traumatic pneumothorax
• Penetrating versus blunt chest trauma
Tension pneumothorax
• Surgical emergency• Definition-a build up of positive pressure
within the hemithorax-mediastinal shift.• One way valve mechanism- air enters
alveoli but can’t escape as the lung tissue collapses around the hole in the pleura.
Examination
Decreased or absent breath sounds on affected sideHyperresonanceDecreased tactile fremitusHypotensionTachycardia>130TachypnoeaCyanosisDistended jugular venous pulsationTracheal deviation to contralateral side
Mediastinal shift
• Pressure on unaffected lung interferes with gas exchange leading to hypoxaemia
• Pressure on the heart reduces venous return to the heart reducing cardiac output.
• Leads to cardiorespiratory failure
Investigations
• Chest X ray- should never be performed when suspecting tension pneumothorax
• ABG-hypoxaemia
• Imaging to distinguish Bullae at apex from pnemothotax- in emergency setting U/S or CT if not an emergency
Management of spontaneous pneumothorax
• Observation with follow up X-ray
• Tube thoracostomy
Management of tension pneumothorax
• Immediately insert a large bore cannula into 2nd intercostal space in midclavicular line
• Hissing sound will be heard
• Follow by inserting a chest drain
Insertion of chest drain
• NB remember surgical principles ie aseptic technique– Paint with Bethadine– Drape the surrounding area– Triangle of safety is
• 1) anterior to the midaxillary line• 2) above the level of the nipple• 3)below and lateral to the pec major
– 5th intercostal space in midaxillary line
Insertion of chest drain
• Sharp dissection of skin• Blunt dissection through the remaining
tissue as far as the parietal pleura• The tract should be just above the lower
rib to avoid the neurovascular bundle aiming toward the apex.
• Insert finger into cavity and use this to guide the trocar
Insertion of chest drain
• Remove the trocar and the tube is carefully and securely positioned using a purse string suture.
• Tube is then connected to an underwater seal and bubbling of the water is observed.
• Request a chest x ray to determine correct positioning of the tube and reinflation of the lung
Definitive surgical management
• Indications– Recurrent pneumothorax for any reason– Patients with– high risk occupations eg pilots, divers.
Definitive surgical management
• Surgical options– Pleurodesis- tube thoracostomy with
preferred agent being talc – Thorocotomy with pleurectomy– VATS- video assisted thorascopic surgical
biopsy with talc insufflation
Classification
• Primary spontaneous
• Secondary spontaneous
• Traumatic
• Tension