Tension pneumothorax by cilein on DeviantArt (original) (raw)
Tension pneumothorax is one of the H's & T's, AKA reversible causes of cardiac arrest. A rupture in the lung wall can act as a one-way valve, allowing air to leak into the chest cavity. An increasing volume of air here crushes the heart and lungs as it expands. This makes breathing increasingly difficult and reduces the heart's ability to pump until it arrests.
Tension pneumothorax requires an urgent needle decompression to restore hemodynamic stability.
This is part of my illustration series visualising the H's & T's, to make these life-saving concepts more memorable to help doctors, nurses, and paramedics save lives when facing cardiac arrest. Check out my Kickstarter on the H's & T's to get an illustrated poster of the full series, and support development of a video on the reversible causes of cardiac arrest to help medics save lives.