Clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary profile of spontaneous pneumothorax

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Published Jun 1, 2025
https://doi.org/10.62438/tunismed.v103i6.5660
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Vol. 103 No. 6 (2025): Tunis Med June 2025

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Sabrine Majdoub Fehri
Department of Pneumology , University Hospital of Gabès, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, Faculty of Sfax, Tunisia
Nawres Issaoui
Department of Pneumology , University Hospital of Gabès, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, Faculty of Sfax, Tunisia
Hamida Kwas
Department of Pneumology , University Hospital of Gabès, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, Faculty of Sfax, Tunisia

Abstract

Introduction: Pneumothorax (PNO) is a common pathology in clinical practice. The therapeutic approach to PNO depends on the patient's clinical conditions, the extent of the disease, and the presence or absence of underlying pulmonary comorbidity.


Aim: To report the epidemiological and therapeutic profile of patients treated for spontaneous pneumothorax in a university hospital in a city in southern Tunisia.


Method: This is a retrospective descriptive study involving patients hospitalized for spontaneous PNO in the pulmonology department between January 2020 and December 2021.


Results: During the study period, there were 56 admissions for spontaneous PNO. Men were more affected than women (94.6%). The average age of the patients was 43 years old. Seventy-four percent of patients lived within a 10 km radius of the Gabes industrial zone. Smoking was noted in 85.71% of patients. Nineteen patients (33.9%) had respiratory comorbidities such as PNO (21.4%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (7.1%) and covid19 pneumonia (7.1%). PNO was classified as primary in 41 patients (73.21%) and secondary in 15 patients (26.78%). The clinical symptoms were dominated by chest pain in 98.2% of cases, dyspnea 82.1% and cough 41.1%. The clinical tolerance of PNO was good in 80.4% of cases. The course of action was bed rest with high-flow oxygen therapy in 12 patients (21.4%) with partial and well-tolerated PNO. Chest drainage was performed as first intention in 44 patients (78.6%). The average time to return to the wall was 4 days. A pleurodesis procedure was indicated....( abstract truncated at 250 words).

Keywords:

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax, Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax, Thoracic drainage, Surgical pleurodesis.

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