Pneumothorax

Cigarette-smoking cessation is the single most important preventive measure for both primary and secondary spontaneous pneumothoraces.[34]Baumann MH, Strange C, Heffner JE, et al; AACP Pneumothorax Consensus Group. Management of spontaneous pneumothorax: an American College of Chest Physicians Delphi consensus statement. Chest. 2001 Feb;119(2):590-602. https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(15)38241-6/fulltext http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11171742?tool=bestpractice.com

Early recognition and treatment of respiratory infections, such as tuberculosis and Pneumocystis jirovecii respiratory infection in AIDS, are important measures in the prevention of pneumothoraces.[95]Terzi E, Zarogoulidis K, Kougioumtzi I, et al. Human immunodeficiency virus infection and pneumothorax. J Thorac Dis. 2014 Oct;6(suppl 4):S377-82. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4203992 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25337392?tool=bestpractice.com ​ Adherence to prescribed therapy may curb the risk of a secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in these patients. Smoking cessation is the single most important step to reduce the risk of a pneumothorax recurrence.[24]British Thoracic Society. Guidelines: pleural disease​. Jul 2023 [internet publication]. https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/quality-improvement/guidelines/pleural-disease ​

Surgery may be indicated for some patients to prevent recurrence. Options include open thoracotomy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).[24]British Thoracic Society. Guidelines: pleural disease​. Jul 2023 [internet publication]. https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/quality-improvement/guidelines/pleural-disease ​