Pneumothorax

Etiology / Pathophysiology

• Air enters pleural space after trauma, procedure, lung disease, or spontaneous rupture.
• Air pressure collapses lung tissue; tension pneumothorax shifts mediastinum and blocks venous return.

Medications

No specific medication class was seeded for this card.

Nursing actions

• Assess breath sounds, chest rise, tracheal position, oxygenation, and distress.
• Prepare chest tube or needle decompression pathway for tension signs per protocol.
• Monitor chest tube system if present and keep emergency supplies per policy.

Complications

• Tension pneumothorax
• Respiratory failure
• Shock

NCLEX cues

• Sudden chest pain and unilateral absent breath sounds.
• Tracheal deviation and hypotension are late tension signs.

Memory hooks

• Air outside lung collapses lung.

Labs / Diagnostics

• Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.

Review notes

• Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.