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Book

EMS Pneumothorax

Brian W. Koch  1 , Devin M. Howell  2 , Chadi I. Kahwaji  3
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
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Book

EMS Pneumothorax

Brian W. Koch et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Traumatic pneumothorax is the second most common injury in chest trauma, accounting for 50,000 cases a year in the United States. Pneumothorax management relies on early recognition and treatment by prehospital providers to prevent the development of respiratory failure or obstructive shock from “tension” physiology. The majority of emergency medical service (EMS) providers in the United States have protocols for rapid assessment and treatment of pneumothorax. There are multiple treatment modalities available for use by prehospital providers with varying use by both levels of training and geographic location. No single accepted method is being performed on a national level.[4]

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Brian Koch declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Devin Howell declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Chadi Kahwaji declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

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    1. Weichenthal L, Crane D, Rond L. Needle Thoracostomy in the Prehospital Setting: A Retrospective Observational Study. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2016 May-Jun;20(3):399-403. - PubMed
    1. Bhat SR, Johnson DA, Pierog JE, Zaia BE, Williams SR, Gharahbaghian L. Prehospital Evaluation of Effusion, Pneumothorax, and Standstill (PEEPS): Point-of-care Ultrasound in Emergency Medical Services. West J Emerg Med. 2015 Jul;16(4):503-9. - PMC - PubMed

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