A 27-year-old man with no significant past medical history of note presents to the Emergency Department with a one day history of dyspnoea and right-sided pleuritic chest pain. A chest x-ray is taken which shows a right pneumothorax with a 2.5cm rim of air and no mediastinal shift. Aspiration is performed by the admitting doctor. He is reviewed four hours later. His dyspnoea has resolved but the chest x-ray shows that whilst the pneumothorax has improved there is still a 1.5cm rim of air. What is the most appropriate management? A. Repeat aspiration B. Intercostal drain insertion C. Refer to a cardiothoracic surgeon for pleurodesis D. Admit for observation E. Discharge with outpatient chest x-ray
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 15:00:40 +0000