Thoracic Trauma (Canine) Pneumothorax

"Daisy", a 4 month-old female Pug cross, was hit by a car and brought to the hospital in severe respiratory distress. Initial treatment consisted of therapy for shock and placement in an oxygen chamber. As soon as some degree of stabilization was achieved, thoracic radiographs were taken.

The radiographs revealed a severe degree of pneumothorax which is a condition in which air gains access to the chest cavity, either through an opening in the chest wall or through the lungs themselves, causing the lungs to collapse. In this case, the chest wall was intact, and the air was entering from a broken airway within the chest. In the radiograph on the right, the arrows mark the outline of the collapsed right lung. The space between the collapsed lung and the chest wall is filled with air. This air can be aspirated out by placing a needle into the air space and drawing out as much air as possible. This was done numerous times at the shaved area shown below.