Pneumothorax Potential Risk

Complications

Misdiagnosis is the most common complication of needle decompression. If a

pneumothorax but not a tension pneumothorax is present, needle decompression creates
an open pneumothorax. Alternatively, if no pneumothorax exists, the patient may develop
a pneumothorax after the needle decompression is performed. Additionally, the needle
may lacerate a lung, which, although rare, can cause significant pulmonary injury or
hemothorax. If the needle is initially placed too medially to the sternum, needle
decompression may cause a hemothorax by lacerating the inferior set of intercostal
vessels or the internal mammary artery

Pneumothorax complications include the following:

 Hypoxemic respiratory failure
 Respiratory or cardiac arrest
 Hemopneumothorax
 Bronchopulmonary fistula
 Pulmonary edema (following lung reexpansion)
 Empyema
 Pneumomediastinum
 Pneumopericardium
 Pneumoperitoneum
 Pyopneumothorax

Complications of surgical procedures include the following:

 Failure to cure the problem
 Acute respiratory distress or failure
 Infection of the pleural space
 Cutaneous or systemic infection
 Persistent air leak
 Reexpansion pulmonary edema
 Pain at the site of chest tube insertion
 Prolonged tube drainage and hospital stay

Brian J Daley, Apr 28, 2020, Pneumothorax Treatment & Management,  WebMD

LLC. Retrieved from https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/424547-treatment#d15.