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Causes & Risk factors
Causes:
The main causative factor of a Pneumothorax is an injury or a trauma to the chest wall, which may result in the subsequent changes. E.g. A fractured rib, trauma due to sharp object, accident causing an injury by a nail, Knife etc.
In some cases; very tall and thin people are vulnerable to develop a spontaneous Pneumothorax. In spontaneous Pneumothorax a lung collapses without any significant cause. There are some abnormal, tiny balloons like structures in the lung. These are known as blebs which suddenly ruptures causing an air to get spread in the pleural space; around the lung.
Risk factors:
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Cigarette smoking
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COPD
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Asthma
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Tuberculosis
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Whooping cough
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Cystic fibrosis
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Drug abuse
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A lung biopsy
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Aspiration of fluid from the pleural space
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Insertion of a large IV catheter into the neck vein
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