How many days do you usually stay in the hospital for pneumothorax drainage?

Written by Li Ying

Pulmonology

Updated on December 19, 2024

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This depends on whether the pneumothorax is a simple pneumothorax or is complicated by other diseases. If there are no other lung diseases present and it is just a simple pneumothorax, then typically, drainage by tube for 5 to 7 days can lead to a complete recovery and cure. However, if there are complications such as emphysema, pulmonary heart disease, pneumoconiosis, or lung infections, then it is necessary first to control the infections. During this time, the pneumothorax can easily become a communicating pneumothorax. If it lasts for more than 1 to 2 weeks, it may turn into a refractory pneumothorax. In the case of refractory pneumothorax, besides drainage, minimally invasive surgeries such as pleurodesis or pneumothorax occlusion procedures are required. These surgeries take time. Therefore, if a stubborn pneumothorax forms, especially when complications like emphysema are present, hospital stays often need to be 14 days or even longer.

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Written by Li Tao

Pulmonology

42sec

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Pneumothorax is what disease?

Pneumothorax refers to the condition where gas enters the pleural cavity. Normally, the pleural cavity is a sealed space formed by the visceral pleura covering the lung surface and the parietal pleura on the chest wall. When gas enters the pleural cavity due to some reason, causing a state of gas accumulation, it is called pneumothorax. The causes of pneumothorax can be diseases of the lungs themselves or gas produced after the lungs and chest wall are injured by external forces. Typically, the condition occurs when the pleura near the lung surface ruptures, allowing gas to enter the pleural cavity, which is referred to as pneumothorax.

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Written by Han Shun Li

Pulmonology

55sec

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Is pneumothorax the same as emphysema?

Pneumothorax and emphysema can both manifest symptoms such as chest tightness, difficulty breathing, and coughing. However, is pneumothorax the same as emphysema? Pneumothorax and emphysema are two different diseases. Simply put, pneumothorax is a pleural disease caused by a rupture of the pleura, while emphysema is a disease of the airways. When a lung is imaged for pneumothorax, the film shows lung compression. It is possible to see the external boundary of the compressed lung where pneumothorax is present, with no lung markings. In the case of emphysema, imaging shows that the thoracic cage is expanded, with widened intercostal spaces, and increased translucency in both lung lobes. Therefore, the differences between pneumothorax and emphysema are significant, and they are not the same disease.

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Written by Han Shun Li

Pulmonology

52sec

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How long after a pneumothorax can the drainage tube be removed?

Pneumothorax occurs when the pleura ruptures and gas enters the pleural cavity. After the occurrence of pneumothorax, chest drainage by inserting a tube into the pleural cavity to remove the air is a common treatment. Generally, in most cases, after effective drainage for a few days, the lung can re-expand and the rupture can heal. Under these circumstances, it is common to clamp the drainage tube and observe for about two days. Then, a chest X-ray is re-examined and if there is no air, the tube can be removed. If air reappears after clamping, continued drainage is necessary. If the rupture does not heal and pneumothorax remains unresolved even after two weeks of drainage, and if the patient's physical condition allows, surgical treatment may be considered.

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Written by Zhang Zhi Gong

Cardiothoracic Surgery

1min 11sec

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Can pneumothorax be inherited?

In fact, medicine has found that most diseases, other than traumatic ones caused by injuries or car accidents, are related to genes or heredity. For instance, diseases like diabetes and hypertension clearly have a familial hereditary history. Pneumothorax is no exception, as it also tends to cluster in certain families, or has a higher tendency than in normal families. Therefore, pneumothorax does possess a certain hereditary nature, particularly in families prone to connective tissue disorders such as Marfan Syndrome. Additionally, pneumothorax often occurs in families with mutations in the human leukocyte antigen, and in those with conditions such as homocystinuria or antitrypsin deficiency, where pneumothorax is more prevalent. Of course, there are also conditions like Marfan Syndrome and Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD) Syndrome in these families, which also tend to develop renal cysts, renal tumors, and skin fibrofolliculomas. Thus, the more frequent occurrence of pneumothorax in these families demonstrates that pneumothorax is genetically related and has a certain degree of heredity.

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Written by Wang Xiang Yu

Pulmonology

57sec

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What department should I go to for pneumothorax?

What department is pneumothorax treated in? For pneumothorax, we commonly see patients first in the emergency department, as the onset of pneumothorax is generally very sudden and the condition can be quite severe. The patient may suddenly experience difficulty breathing, and in most cases, this breathing difficulty is severe. Therefore, patients typically start by seeing the emergency internal medicine department. The doctors there will assess the patient’s condition and will consult with thoracic and cardiovascular surgery and respiratory medicine. If a closed thoracic drainage tube is needed, our surgeons will immediately perform the drainage. If the patient can be treated conservatively, they are usually then transferred to either respiratory medicine or thoracic and cardiovascular surgery for further treatment.