How to Diagnose a Punctured Lung

A punctured lung usually occurs after a person experiences a gunshot, stabbing, fractured rib or ill-fated medical procedure. Such penetrating injuries damage the thin lining around the lungs and inside the chest walls known as the pleura. Gas collects in the pleural cavity causing the lung to collapse. A punctured lung has specific symptoms and is diagnosed with several clinical tests and observations.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Seek professional medical treatment immediately. Only physicians or highly-trained emergency medical personnel can properly diagnose a punctured lung. They will look for certain symptoms and perform relevant tests and exams.
2. Observe what are often the initial symptoms of a punctured lung. These are usually chest pain and breathing difficulty. More subtle symptoms include anxiety and fatigue.
3. Be physically examined. Common findings include respiratory distress or even respiratory arrest. Lung sounds are usually decreased or even absent in both lungs but this is not universal even in advanced cases. A rapid heartbeat is also common.
4. Notice less common signs of a punctured lung. Breathing is usually rapid but slows down when the patient becomes terminal. Unusual sounds like crackles and wheezing may be heard only on the affected lung.
5. Undergo an arterial blood gas analysis. This test helps to evaluate if the blood is getting enough oxygen and the acidity levels in the body's fluids.
6. Get chest x-rays. A punctured lung diagnosis is more likely to be confirmed radiologically before subjecting a patient to chest compression.