Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax

Urgent Message: Spontaneous pneumothorax (PTX) occurs unpredictably. Many patients with spontaneous pneumothorax may initially present to urgent care, so it is important for clinicians to include it in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with acute chest pain and/or dyspnea. Rarely, a spontaneous pneumothorax can progress to a tension pneumothorax if the diagnosis is delayed. Vrunda Patel, BS; Kevin Radecki, MD Citation: Patel V, Radecki, K. Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax. J …

Spontaneous Pneumothorax

Urgent message: In patients with chest pain, check chest films carefully to avoid missing an uncommon diagnosis. Joseph Toscano, MD Introduction The traditional differential diagnosis for chest pain includes spontaneous pneumothorax. Chest x-ray is necessary for confirming the diagnosis, and sometimes the findings can be subtle. As in dealing with any infrequently encountered condition, clinicians should consider the diagnosis and closely examine every chest film they order to avoid missing this uncommon diagnosis. Case Presentation …