Emergency MedicineRespiratory
Spontaneous Pneumothorax (Adult)
BTS 2023 guideline — symptom-based vs size-based approach to primary and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in adults.
Source: BTS Pleural Disease 2023
Used in: Asthma
Step 1 of ~8
info
Initial Assessment
ABCDE. Erect CXR (or POCUS / CT in equivocal cases). Identify tension pneumothorax clinically — DO NOT wait for imaging if features present (haemodynamic compromise, severe respiratory distress, tracheal deviation, absent breath sounds + hyper-resonance).
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Drugs
- Emollient bath and shower products, paraffin-containing · Paraffin-based bath/shower emollient
- Emollient creams and ointments, hydrogenated castor oil-containing · Hydrogenated castor oil-based emollient
- Dimeticone · Topical pediculicide (silicone-based)
- Obeticholic Acid · FXR Agonist (Primary Biliary Cholangitis)
- Influenza vaccine (inactivated) · Vaccine
- Artemether with Lumefantrine · Artemisinin-Based Combination Antimalarial (ACT)
Pathways
- Difficult Airway Algorithm (DAS) · DAS 2015; Royal College of Anaesthetists
- Major Haemorrhage Protocol · NICE NG24; UK MHP guidelines
- New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation · ESC 2020 AF Guidelines; NICE NG196
- Hypertensive Emergency · ESC/ESH 2018 Hypertension Guidelines; NICE NG136
- Bradycardia Management · Resuscitation Council UK ABCDE; ESC 2021 Pacing Guidelines
- Ventricular Tachycardia / Fibrillation · Resuscitation Council UK ACLS; ESC 2022 Ventricular Arrhythmia Guidelines
Featured in these MRCEM clinical pathways
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Decision support only. Always apply local guidelines and clinical judgement.