Which statement about tension pneumothorax is true?

• A. It is life-threatening
• B. It is not life-threatening
• C. It is mild
• D. It is common

Answer: (A)

Tension pneumothorax is a life-threatening emergency because air trapped in the pleural space builds pressure that compresses the lung on the affected side and shifts the mediastinal structures, impairing venous return to the heart. This combination can rapidly lead to hypotension, tachycardia, hypoxia, and even cardiac arrest if not treated immediately. Clinically you may see sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, rapid breathing, low blood pressure, distended neck veins, and a lung that is difficult to hear on the affected side, sometimes with hyperresonance on percussion and possible tracheal deviation away from the injured side as a late sign. Immediate management is required to relieve the pressure, typically with rapid needle or finger thoracostomy to decompress the chest, followed by chest tube placement and supplemental oxygen. The other statements don’t fit because this condition is not mild, it is not non-life-threatening, and while its occurrence isn’t everyday, when it does happen it constitutes a true medical emergency.