Concept
Pneumothorax
Related concepts (62)
Blast injury
A blast injury is a complex type of physical trauma resulting from direct or indirect exposure to an explosion. Blast injuries occur with the detonation of high-order explosives as well as the deflagration of low order explosives. These injuries are compounded when the explosion occurs in a confined space. Blast injuries are divided into four classes: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. Primary injuries are caused by blast overpressure waves, or shock waves. Total body disruption is the most severe and invariably fatal primary injury.
Costodiaphragmatic recess
The costodiaphragmatic recess, also called the costophrenic recess or phrenicocostal sinus, is the posterolateral fringe of the pleural space, a potential space around the lung inside the pleural cavity. It is located at the acutely angled junction ("reflection") between the costal and diaphragmatic parietal pleurae, and is interpreted two-dimensionally on plain X-rays as the costophrenic angle. It measures approximately vertically and extends from the eighth to the tenth rib along the mid-axillary line.
Lung compliance
Lung compliance, or pulmonary compliance, is a measure of the lung's ability to stretch and expand (distensibility of elastic tissue). In clinical practice it is separated into two different measurements, static compliance and dynamic compliance. Static lung compliance is the change in volume for any given applied pressure. Dynamic lung compliance is the compliance of the lung at any given time during actual movement of air. Low compliance indicates a stiff lung (one with high elastic recoil) and can be thought of as a thick balloon – this is the case often seen in fibrosis.
Pulmonary artery catheter
A pulmonary artery catheter (PAC), also known as a Swan-Ganz catheter or right heart catheter, is a balloon-tipped catheter that is inserted into a pulmonary artery in a procedure known as pulmonary artery catheterization or right heart catheterization. Pulmonary artery catheterization is a useful measure of the overall function of the heart particularly in those with complications from heart failure, heart attack, arrythmias or pulmonary embolism.
Cabin pressurization
Cabin pressurization is a process in which conditioned air is pumped into the cabin of an aircraft or spacecraft in order to create a safe and comfortable environment for humans flying at high altitudes. For aircraft, this air is usually bled off from the gas turbine engines at the compressor stage, and for spacecraft, it is carried in high-pressure, often cryogenic, tanks. The air is cooled, humidified, and mixed with recirculated air by one or more environmental control systems before it is distributed to the cabin.
Percussion (medicine)
Percussion is a technique of clinical examination. Percussion is a method of tapping on a surface to determine the underlying structures, and is used in clinical examinations to assess the condition of the thorax or abdomen. It is one of the four methods of clinical examination, together with inspection, palpation, auscultation, and inquiry. It is done with the middle finger of one hand tapping on the middle finger of the other hand using a wrist action. The nonstriking finger (known as the pleximeter) is placed firmly on the body over tissue.
Bag valve mask
A bag valve mask (BVM), sometimes known by the proprietary name Ambu bag or generically as a manual resuscitator or "self-inflating bag", is a hand-held device commonly used to provide positive pressure ventilation to patients who are not breathing or not breathing adequately. The device is a required part of resuscitation kits for trained professionals in out-of-hospital settings (such as ambulance crews) and is also frequently used in hospitals as part of standard equipment found on a crash cart, in emergency rooms or other critical care settings.
Blunt cardiac injury
A blunt cardiac injury is an injury to the heart as the result of blunt trauma, typically to the anterior chest wall. It can result in a variety of specific injuries to the heart, the most common of which is a myocardial contusion, which is a term for a bruise (contusion) to the heart after an injury. Other injuries which can result include septal defects and valvular failures. The right ventricle is thought to be most commonly affected due to its anatomic location as the most anterior surface of the heart.
Pneumatosis
Pneumatosis is the abnormal presence of air or other gas within tissues. In the lungs, emphysema involves enlargement of the distal airspaces, and is a major feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Other pneumatoses in the lungs are focal (localized) blebs and bullae, pulmonary cysts and cavities. Pneumoperitoneum (or peritoneal emphysema) is air or gas in the abdominal cavity, and is most commonly caused by gastrointestinal perforation, often the result of surgery.
Respiratory arrest
Respiratory arrest is a medical condition caused by apnea or respiratory dysfunction severe enough that it will not sustain the body (such as agonal breathing). Prolonged apnea refers to a patient who has stopped breathing for a long period of time. If the heart muscle contraction is intact, the condition is known as respiratory arrest. An abrupt stop of pulmonary gas exchange lasting for more than five minutes may permanently damage vital organs, especially the brain. Lack of oxygen to the brain causes loss of consciousness.