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Collapsed lung - Symptom

Alternative Names

Air around the lung; Air outside the lung; Pneumothorax; Spontaneous pneumothorax

Symptoms:

Almost everyone who has a collapsed lung has the following symptoms:

Sharp chest pain, made worse by a deep breath or a cough
Shortness of breath

A larger pneumothorax will cause more severe symptoms, including:

Chest tightness
Easy fatigue
Rapid heart rate
Bluish color of the skin caused by lack of oxygen

Note: Symptoms may begin during rest or sleep.

Other symptoms that can occur with a collapsed lung include:

Nasal flaring
Low blood pressure (hypotension)

Signs and tests:

There are decreased or no breath sounds on the affected side when heard through a stethoscope.

Tests include:

Chest x-ray to tell whether there is air outside the lung
Arterial blood gases

Lungs

Aortic rupture, chest X-ray

Pneumothorax - chest X-ray

Respiratory system

Chest tube insertion - series

Pneumothorax - series

Reviewed last on: 8/19/2009
David A. Kaufman, MD, Section Chief, Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Bridgeport Hospital-Yale New Haven Health System, and Assistant Clinical Professor, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Light RW, Lee GY. Pneumothorax, Chylothorax, Hemothorax, and Fibrothorax. In: Mason RJ, Murray JF, Broaddus VC, Nadel JA, eds. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2005: chap 69.

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