Collapsed Lung: MedlinePlus

Collapsed Lung: MedlinePlus
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

MedlinePlus: Collapsed Lung

12/22/2013 08:59 PM EST

Source: National Library of Medicine - 
Related MedlinePlus Page: Pleural Disorders

A collapsed lung happens when air enters the pleural space, the area between the lung and the chest wall. If it is a total collapse, it is called pneumothorax. If only part of the lung is affected, it is called atelectasis.

Causes of a collapsed lung include

• Lung diseases such as pneumonia or lung cancer
• Being on a breathing machine
• Surgery on the chest or abdomen
• A blocked airway

If only a small area of the lung is affected, you may not have symptoms. If a large area is affected, you may feel short of breath and have a rapid heart rate.

A chest x-ray can tell if you have it. Treatment depends on the underlying cause.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA  

• Atelectasis
• Chest tube insertion
• Chest tube insertion - slideshow
• Collapsed lung
• Hemothorax
• Lung surgery
• Pneumothorax - slideshow
• Pneumothorax - infants

Related Topics

• Chest Injuries and Disorders
• Lung Diseases
• Pleural Disorders
• Lungs and Breathing

National Institutes of Health

• The primary NIH organization for research on Collapsed Lung is theNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

• Start Here

  • Atelectasis(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Pneumothorax(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

• Overviews

  • Atelectasis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Pneumothorax(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School)

• Diagnosis/Symptoms

  • Bronchoscopy(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Bronchoscopy(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Chest CT Scan(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Chest Pain, Acute(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Shortness of Breath(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  • Also available in Spanish

• Treatment

  • Chest tube insertion - slideshow
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Chest Tube Thoracostomy(American Thoracic Society) - PDF
  • How Is Atelectasis Treated?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Pneumothorax - slideshow
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Thoracentesis(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

• Prevention/Screening

  • How Can Atelectasis Be Prevented?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • What Causes Atelectasis?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Return to top

• Rehabilitation/Recovery

  • MedlinePlus: Pulmonary Rehabilitation(National Library of Medicine)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top

• Related Issues

  • JAMA Patient Page: Lung Complications After Surgery(American Medical Association)- PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • LAM (Lymphangioleiomyomatosis)(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Lung Emergencies(National Marfan Foundation)
  • Return to top

• Tutorials

  • Bronchoscopy(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top

• Anatomy/Physiology

  • What Are the Lungs?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Return to top

• Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Pneumothorax(National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Pulmonary Atelectasis(National Institutes of Health)
  • Return to top

• Journal Articles

  References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
  • Article: Absorption atelectasis: incidence and clinical implications.
  • Article: A 46-year-old woman with atelectasis from an endobronchial tumor.
  • Article: Lung volume reexpansion surgery: a surgical secret.
  • Collapsed Lung -- see more articles
  • Return to top

• Directories

  • Lung HelpLine(American Lung Association)
  • Return to top

• Organizations

  • American Lung Association
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  • Return to top

• Patient Handouts

  • Atelectasis
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Chest tube insertion
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Collapsed lung
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Hemothorax
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Lung surgery
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Pneumothorax - infants
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top