A pre-hospital team is managing a patient who develops a tension pneumothorax during positive pressure ventilation via an endotracheal tube. What spec...

Question

A pre-hospital team is managing a patient who develops a tension pneumothorax during positive pressure ventilation via an endotracheal tube. What specific risk factor made this patient more susceptible to tension pneumothorax?

Accepted Answer

Positive pressure ventilation - PPV drives air through any chest wall or pulmonary defect into the pleural space, and the positive pressure prevents air from escaping, rapidly causing tension

Answer

The patient's age increased the risk

Answer

All intubated patients inevitably develop pneumothorax

Answer

The endotracheal tube caused a direct lung puncture

Answer

The oxygen concentration was too high

uk-dipimc MCQ (SBA): PPV and Tension Pneumothorax

A pre-hospital team is managing a patient who develops a tension pneumothorax during positive pressure ventilation via an endotracheal tube. What specific risk factor made this patient more susceptible to tension pneumothorax?