Collapsed Lung
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Summary
A collapsed lung happens when air enters the pleural space, the area between the lung and the chest wall. If it is a total collapse, it is called pneumothorax. If only part of the lung is affected, it is called atelectasis.
Causes of a collapsed lung include
- Lung diseases such as pneumonia or lung cancer
- Being on a breathing machine
- Surgery on the chest or abdomen
- A blocked airway
If only a small area of the lung is affected, you may not have symptoms. If a large area is affected, you may feel short of breath and have a rapid heart rate.
A chest x-ray can tell if you have it. Treatment depends on the underlying cause.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Atelectasis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Atelectasis
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Pneumothorax (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Diagnosis and Tests
- Shortness of Breath (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
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What is Bronchoscopy?
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- Chest tube insertion - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Chest Tube Thoracostomy (American Thoracic Society) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Pneumothorax - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
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What Is Thoracentesis?
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Living With
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Pulmonary Rehabilitation: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
Related Issues
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LAM (Lymphangioleiomyomatosis)
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Lung Emergencies (Marfan Foundation)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Pneumothorax
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Pulmonary Atelectasis
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
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How the Lungs Work
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Find an Expert
- American Lung Association
- Lung HelpLine and Tobacco QuitLine (American Lung Association)
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Patient Handouts
- Atelectasis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Chest tube insertion (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Collapsed lung (pneumothorax) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Hemothorax (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Lung surgery (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Pneumothorax - infants (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish