PRIMARY SPONTANEOUS PNEUMOTHORAX AND SMOKING

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) afflicts the young and healthy, Thirty-three consecutive patients with spontaneous pneumothorax were reviewed. Five patients without PSP were excluded, The relationship of smoking to PSP was analyzed in 28 patients. Eighty-six percent of PSP occurred in smokers (p < 0.01), Also, 78% were male (p > 0.05) and 78 % were white (p > 0.05). A mean of 21.4 +/- 26.9 duty days were lost p er episode. A majority of PSP can be avoided by abstention from smokin g, and cessation must be more aggressively advocated.