pneumothorax

IPA/ˌnjuː.məˈθɔː.ræks/
IPA/ˌnuː.məˈθɔːr.æks/

pneumothorax — noun

  • pneumothoraxsingular
  • pneumothoraxesplural

1. a health problem where air collects in the thin gap between a lung and the inner

1.名詞C2
釋義

a health problem where air collects in the thin gap between a lung and the inner chest wall. This trapped air presses against the lung, making it partly or fully deflate. Pneumothorax may occur out of the blue (spontaneous type) or can develop after a broken rib or a deep chest wound.

例句

Mr. Chen had a small pneumothorax — air trapped against his lung — that needed no surgery.

spontaneous small pneumothorax — self-resolution

After the car accident, a pneumothorax caused the driver's left lung to collapse.

pneumothorax caused by chest trauma

同義詞
  • collapsed lung

    Everyday term patients use; not a precise medical synonym since pneumothorax is the cause of the collapse

  • atelectasis

    Also involves partial lung collapse, but caused by airway blockage or pressure, not necessarily air in the pleural space

用法筆記

Doctors distinguish three main types: spontaneous (occurs with no obvious cause, common in tall thin young men), traumatic (caused by a chest injury), and tension (a life-threatening form where air keeps entering the pleural space and cannot escape). Only the tension type requires immediate emergency drainage.

常見錯誤

❌The patient was diagnosed with pneumothorax in his lungs.
✅The patient was diagnosed with pneumothorax in his left chest cavity.
💡Pneumothorax occurs in the pleural space around the lung, not inside the lung tissue itself.
❌He had a small pneumothorax on his skin.
✅He had a small pneumothorax in his pleural cavity.
💡Pneumothorax is an internal condition involving the space around the lung, not a surface wound.