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General health

What causes a collapsed lung?

8 replies

bramblina · 01/05/2006 15:16

In a 2 year old?
My friend was away last week and her lo ended up in hospital with this. She's due homw this week and I plan on going to see her, but wanted to understand it a bit better.
TIA

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expatinscotland · 01/05/2006 15:21

Respiratory infections can cause it - bronchitis, pertussis/whooping cough, pneumonia, etc.

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bramblina · 01/05/2006 17:13

Even if she hed been innocculated? Which I'm sure she has.

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Hausfrau · 01/05/2006 17:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mosschops30 · 01/05/2006 17:17

pulmonary embolism (blood clot)
trauma
respiratory infection

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sugarfree · 01/05/2006 17:18

You can get a spontaneous pneumothorax,but is usually in young,skinny,male,adults(so I was always taught)
Sorry,thats absolutely of no use to you at all is it?Blush

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chapsmum · 01/05/2006 17:25

the lung is like a ballon inside a vacum. the plueral cavity creates this vacum for a lung. When we inhale our diaphram flattens and our rib muscles puul the plural cavity out the way forcing the lung to expand and air to be inhales. A collapsed lug is caused by an air leak into the vacum. It can be caused by trauma or infection or othere less common causes.
It normally is treated by a drain into the plural cavity. this re-inflates the lung by draining the air. IT normally stays in for a day or two, then is removed. Her wee one wil b kept in for observation and then re-xrayed to make sure the lung has stayed inflated.
He will probably get follow up as an outpatient

HTH

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GarfieldsGirl · 01/05/2006 17:59

Mine was caused by pneumonia.

DP used to get them regularly until he had the lining of the lung removed. The reason they gave him is that its very common in tall, skinny men. I know thathas nothing to do with a 2 year old, but just using it as an example of there being very differing reasons for it happening.

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bramblina · 01/05/2006 22:37

Sugarfree, no, but it had me rofl!
Thanks everyone, so it isn't as awful as it sounds, but still not nice. It's the kind of thing I've associated with people on their deathbeds.
Thanks again.

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