Our Calling is Caring: March 08

Saving a Life

Melissa called a recent patient who had initially been admitted to our floor with a 50 percent right pneumothorax (collapsed lung). A chest tube was placed and removed several days after. The patient was sent home the following day and Melissa called the next day to follow-up with the patient and ensure she was doing well. A friend of the patient answered the phone and informed Melissa that the patient could not come to the phone as she was very short of breath and unable to speak. At this time, they had not notified their physician of the problems since they were hesitant to return to the hospital. Melissa instructed them to call an ambulance, which they did and the patient was re-admitted with a recurrent pneumothorax and a chest tube was reinserted to save the patient’s life. Without Melissa calling to check on the patient, the outcome may have been completely different. Melissa quite possibly saved this patient’s life.

Sandra Dunn
Director Cardiology / Neurology
Baylor Medical Center At Irving

* Pneumothorax: A collapsed lung. A lung can collapse for many reasons: a growing tumor blocking a major airway, an infection, even an inhaled foreign object. One type of lung collapse, known medically as a pneumothorax, occurs when air leaks into the area between your lungs and chest wall (pleural space). The pressure of the air against the lung causes it to give way, often leading to mild to severe chest pain and shortness of breath. A pneumothorax can be caused by a chest injury, certain medical treatments, lung disease or a break in an air blister on the lung's surface.

A lung collapses in proportion to the amount of air that leaks into your chest cavity. Although the entire lung can collapse, a partial collapse is much more common. A small, uncomplicated pneumothorax may heal on its own in a week or two, but when the pneumothorax is more severe, the excess air is usually removed by inserting a tube or needle between your ribs into the pleural space.

If air continues to build up, the increasing pressure can push your heart and blood vessels toward the uncollapsed lung, compressing both your lung and heart. Called a tension pneumothorax, this condition is life-threatening and requires immediate medical care. Read more from Mayo Foundation.

1998-2008 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER).