New pneumothorax complicating successful treatment of persistent air leak by endobronchial valves.

Endobronchial one-way valves (EBV) have been proposed as a treatment option for persistent air leak (PAL) complicating spontaneous pneumothorax when surgical intervention is considered not feasible. Published case series showed this form of treatment to be generally safe. We report two such cases in which both achieved immediate cessation of air leak and post-procedural chest radiograph showed significant collapse of the treated lobe, but developed sudden onset of shortness of breath within 24 h after EBV insertion.

Clamping of chest drain before removal in spontaneous pneumothorax.

Background: In spontaneous pneumothorax, clamping the chest drain before its removal may avoid reinsertion in case of early recurrence, but may be unsafe and may prolong hospital stay. The objective of this study was to examine the incidence of early recurrence in both clamped and unclamped pneumothorax episodes, and factors associated with it.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of primary and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax episodes in which chest drain was inserted during the period April 2012 to March 2014.

Use of endobronchial one-way valves reveals questions on etiology of spontaneous pneumothorax: report of three cases.

Spontaneous pneumothoraces are believed to arise when air from the supplying airway exit via a ruptured visceral pleural bleb into the pleural cavity. Endobronchial one-way valves (EBVs) allow air exit (but not entry) from individual segmental airways. Systematic deployment of EBVs was applied to three patients with secondary spontaneous pneumothoraces and persistent airleak.