REEXPANSION PULMONARY-EDEMA FOLLOWING SPONTANEOUS PNEUMOTHORAX

Re-expansion pulmonary oedema may occur after chest tube drainage of p neumothorax and can give rise to cardiopulmonary manifestations which range from the mild to the severe. In order to evaluate the prevalence and the clinical manifestations of this complication, all patients wi th spontaneous pneumothorax managed with chest tube drainage were eval uated over an 8-yr period (1986-1994). A chest radiograph was performe d routinely in all patients within 4 h of tube insertion. Lung expansi on and the appearance of infiltrates within the lungs were investigate d specifically. Re-expansion oedema was noted in three of 320 episodes (0.9%). Two of the three patients needed rapid and extensive clinical treatment.