Collapsed Lung (cont.)

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Medical Author:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Outlook

The prognosis of pneumothorax depends on its cause.
- For a spontaneous pneumothorax, there is an increased risk for another collapsed lung in the future.
- If no tension is present, the condition is easily treated by removal of the air, which reexpands the lung and returns lung function to normal after a few days.
- Tension pneumothorax is life-threatening and may be fatal.
Some scarring to the pleura develops after treatment and can result in intermittent, sharp, localized, chest pain over the short term.
In general, once the pneumothorax has healed, there is no long-term effect on health. However, spontaneous pneumothorax can recur in up to 50% of people.