USMLE/COMLEX - Step 2 - Tension Pneumothorax

Rupture of subpleural apical blebs COPD Trauma TB Pneumocystis jirovecii Chest pain Shortness of breath Mnemonic P-THORAX Pleuritic chest pain Tracheal deviation Hyperresonance Onset (sudden) Reduced breath sounds Absent fremitus X-ray reveals a collapse Tension: Needle decompression in the 2nd intercoastal space followed chest tube Small pneumonia: Observation and supplemental