Timely Management of Simultaneous Bilateral Spontaneous Pneumothorax: A Near-Death Experience.
Shilpa A Gaidhane, Nitish Batra, Apoorva Nirmal, Iftekhar Ansari
Cureus February 1, 2023 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.34684 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | An 18-year-old boy |
| Interventions | bilateral intra-thoracic drainage video-assisted thoracoscopy |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Case report Life threatening presentation Sub pleural bull Tuberculosis |
| Key findings | Simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax, a rare condition, was diagnosed and treated with bilateral intra-thoracic drainage and video-assisted thoracoscopy. |
Abstract
Simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax is a situation that rarely occurs. The patient can have various presentations, from dyspnoea and chest pain to significant respiratory failure. Although it causes lung collapse in nearly two thirds of cases, early diagnosis and treatment are of the utmost importance. Here, we present the case of an 18-year-old boy who presented with complaints of sudden onset respiratory distress. He was immediately put on mechanical ventilation. He was diagnosed with simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax on chest X-ray. He needed bilateral intra-thoracic drainage, following which a video-assisted thoracoscopy was done on the left side.