🫁 Pneumothorax: NCLEX Guide to Collapsed Lung Emergencies

A pneumothorax occurs when air enters the pleural space, causing lung collapse.
It’s a classic NCLEX emergency that requires fast recognition and intervention — especially in trauma, post-op, and chest tube care questions.

Let’s break it down with a KOTC visual, table, and actionable nursing tips.

🩻 Types of Pneumothorax: NCLEX Comparison Table

Type	Description	NCLEX Clues
Simple (Spontaneous)	Air enters pleural space, no trauma required	SOB, ↓ breath sounds, sudden chest pain
Open	Penetrating chest wound, air sucked in	“Sucking” wound, bubbling, trauma history
Tension	Air trapped, ↑ intrathoracic pressure	Tracheal deviation, JVD, cyanosis, ↓ BP

🧠 NCLEX Tip: Tracheal Deviation = Tension Pneumothorax

If a question mentions severe respiratory distress + trachea shifting away, immediately think tension pneumothorax — this is life-threatening and needs needle decompression.

🩺 Key Nursing Interventions

1. Apply oxygen immediately

2. Notify provider or rapid response

3. Prepare for chest tube insertion

4. If open wound, cover with vented dressing (3 sides)

5. Monitor vitals, SpO₂, and lung sounds continuously

⚠️ Do not tape all 4 sides of an open chest wound — it can cause tension pneumothorax!

💡 Mnemonic: “COLLAPSED”

C – Chest pain
O – O₂ sat ↓
L – Low breath sounds
L – Lung collapse
A – Absent fremitus
P – Pushed trachea (tension)
S – Subcutaneous emphysema
E – Emergency needle decompression
D – Diminished expansion

📲 Study Respiratory Emergencies with King of the Curve

• 🫁 Pneumothorax & ARDS visuals

• 📉 Tension pneumothorax NCLEX questions

• 🧪 Chest tube nursing simulations

Learn more at kingofthecurve.org/studyscience

🏁 Final Thoughts

Whether it's tension, open, or spontaneous, knowing how to spot and act on pneumothorax can mean the difference between life and death — on the floor and on the NCLEX.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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