Secondary Pneumothorax

Key points

• Secondary pneumothorax Recommendations include:
• if the patient is > 50 years old and the rim of air is > 2cm and/or the patient is short of breath then a chest drain should be inserted.
• otherwise aspiration should be attempted if the rim of air is between 1-2cm. If aspiration fails (i.e. pneumothorax is still greater then 1cm) a chest drain should be inserted. All patients should be admitted for at least 24 hours
• if the pneumothorax is less the 1cm then the BTS guidelines suggest giving oxygen and admitting for 24 hours
• regarding scuba diving, the BTS guidelines state: 'Diving should be permanently avoided unless the patient has undergone bilateral surgical pleurectomy and has normal lung function and chest CT scan postoperatively.' Iatrogenic…