traumatic pneumothorax

traumatic pneumothorax

Emergency medicine Air or gas in the pleural cavity which causes the lung(s) to collapse, usually caused by trauma–eg, gunshot or knife wounds to chest, MVAs, scuba diving accidents, medical procedures–transbronchial Bx, pleural Bx, thoracentesis, chest tube placement, intracostal needle anesthesia, esophagoscopy–which introduce air in the pleural space. See Pneumothorax.