Which is a key clinical finding of tension pneumothorax?

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Multiple Choice

Which is a key clinical finding of tension pneumothorax?

Hyper-resonance to percussion reflects air in the pleural space, which is the defining feature of a pneumothorax. In tension pneumothorax, trapped air increases intrapleural pressure and causes the affected chest wall to resonate more when tapped, making the hyper-resonant finding a classic clue on exam. While severe dyspnea and absent breath sounds can occur with many respiratory problems, they’re less specific. Pulsus paradoxus isn’t typical for tension pneumothorax and points more toward tamponade or severe obstructive disease. So hyper-resonance on percussion is the best single sign that points toward a pneumothorax in this scenario.

Hyper-resonance to percussion reflects air in the pleural space, which is the defining feature of a pneumothorax. In tension pneumothorax, trapped air increases intrapleural pressure and causes the affected chest wall to resonate more when tapped, making the hyper-resonant finding a classic clue on exam. While severe dyspnea and absent breath sounds can occur with many respiratory problems, they’re less specific. Pulsus paradoxus isn’t typical for tension pneumothorax and points more toward tamponade or severe obstructive disease. So hyper-resonance on percussion is the best single sign that points toward a pneumothorax in this scenario.

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