Lung Collapse?

Question

I've seen lungs collpse in movies and TV shows. How does a lung collapse? What does one do to un-collapse it?

Answer 1

Lungs are like balloons in that they hold air.

If the lung has been punctured, say, then the air in the lung escapes and the lung begins to cave in and won't re inflate by itself until the cause has been removed. Sometimes there can be pressure put on the lung by internal bleeding around the lung that squeezes the lung until the lung can't function properly.

Try to imagine an air bed that has been punctured and how it would go down.

Answer 2

Why Does A Lung Collapse

Answer 3

A lung collapses when an outside pressure is applied that is greater than the force keeping the lung "inflated" (though a lung looks more like a sponge to be exact). There is a membrane that lines the lung on the outside and a membrane that lines the inside of the rib cage( the pleural space). This provides a low friction junction that allows for movement of the lungs when breathing. Normally, these two membranes are in contact, , with a a lubricating fluid in between (put a baggie over each hand, put a drop of oil onto the palm side of each baggy and press your palms together, rubbing them. Thats much smoother than simply rubbing two dry palms together. That's how this system works).

When something ELSE comes between the layers and applies pressure, the lung collapses. That something else is usually free air or blood. traumatic injury to the chest ruptures blood vessles in the area, or perhaps a broken rib cuts a blood vessle, and the blood collects in the pleural space. Or if the rib punctures a lung, the air leaks out of the lung and into the space, causing the lung to collapse. In the case of a stab wound or puncture from a bullet, you can a combined effects, both blood and air (from trauma and from the opening in the chest wall, allowing air to enter).

What does one do to uncollapse it? Go to an ER fast. Call 911 and the EMT's will bring you. When you get there, the doctor will insert a tube through your chest and into the pleural space (requiring a small incision and stitches to hold it in place) which will empty the pleural space of air or fluid and allow the lung to re-expand. The tube usually remains for a few days to make sure no further bleeding or air leak occurs.

Hope this answers your question.

Answer 4

As others have noted, get medical help. This isn't a do-it-yourself issue. It requires getting the lung to re-inflate by sucking out air that has gotten between the lung and the chest wall. Like I said, this takes more than meaning well to correct. That's enough detail.

Answer 5

Well I've got a friend that had it happen a couple of times. You can develop a small hole in your lung which would allow it to collapse inside your chest cavity. He didn't even notice till he walked out to his car and couldn't catch his breath.

They inserted a large needle into the chest cavity and bled the air out of the chest cavity a little at a time. I understand this is very uncomfortable.

Answer 6

here is a very good site on pneumothorax (collapsed lung) in layman terms you can understand. remember the lung remains inflated because of pressure, when the pressures are reversed, or changed, the lung collapses. hope this helps:

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/collapsed_lung/article_em.htm