A friend of mine had just showered and was getting dressed, when she had a pain in her chest. She went to the hospital and found out her lung had collapsed. There had been no blunt force or trauma to induce this, and the doctors were baffled. She is otherwise pretty normal for a 27 y.o. female -- average height and a little on the thin side.
2006-08-16 05:14:13 · 5 answers · asked by wcivils 3 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Other - General Health Care
Hmmmmm, I would need to see her WBC which is a white blood cell count. She would also need a CXR which was already done I'm sure. A CAT scan of her chest even. This is a curious thing. I've never heard of it. She may have pneumonia, maybe even something rare like BOOP (yes, it is an actual lung disease) Does she smoke? Is she exposed to 2nd hand smoke? Please find me in the future on this site and let me know how she is and what happened. I've been a nurse for almost 15 years and a 27 healthy female with atelectasis is very odd.
2006-08-16 05:21:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most common cause of an atraumatic lung collapse is pneumothorax - rare though it is, it can occur due to a number of causes. Usually patients willl have a previous history of asthma, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis. There is a condition called 'bullous emphysema' wherein the person may be relatively asymptomatic ordinarily, except for getting tired easily or on exercising, and the person may have no idea of the condition. What happens is that some of the 'airbags' of the lungs (alveoli) get enlarged and form 'bullae' which can suddenly rupture - causing air in the lung = pneumothorax - and results in lung collapse on 1 side.
A 'spontaneous pneumothorax' can occur in young to middle aged people, usually in tall thin people with a history of smoking. It is due to rupture and leak of blebs (small air filled spaces in the lung) into the pleural space.
Diagnosis: using chest xray, ECG and arterial blood gases.
2006-08-16 12:34:15 · answer #2 · answered by Jest21 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did she have a blood clot in her lung or fluid? I had a blood clot and fluid for unknown reasons last October I am 40 and My Dr.said I could have had a collapsed lung along with all other diffuculities. It was a very long difficult experience because my clot wasn't caught before (in my leg) befoe it got to my lung. They had to drain fluid from my lungs three times??? I am still on blood thinners. Sometimes Time is the way she will get the answers. Don't expect them all right away, I have an exceptional Pulmonalogist.
2006-08-16 12:24:01 · answer #3 · answered by mommyme 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not too unusal in thin people, I had my lung collapse a few months ago and I am 27. The doctors told me it is common in tall/thin people and sometimes it just happens for no reason (no pysichal injuries or diseases). It also happened to my dad when he was young and he is thin too.
2006-08-16 22:35:56 · answer #4 · answered by Jenniphur 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just guessing
could she have had some form of lung disease like pneumonia.
2006-08-16 12:19:22 · answer #5 · answered by christigmc 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋