Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The risk for re-expansion pulmonary edema following spontaneous pneumothorax

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Surgery Today Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Re-expansion pulmonary edema is an uncommon condition that occurs when a collapsed lung is expanded. The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors associated with re-expansion pulmonary edema which may occur as a complication when carrying out treatment for spontaneous pneumothorax.

Methods

A total of 462 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax treated with chest tube drainage in inpatient settings at the Nissan Tamagawa Hospital during the 6-year period between January 2007 and December 2012 were retrospectively evaluated. The data were analyzed to identify any clinical differences between the patients with and without re-expansion pulmonary edema.

Results

Re-expansion pulmonary edema occurred on 30 (6.5 %) of the 462 patients. The duration of lung collapse in the patients with re-expansion pulmonary edema was longer than that observed in the patients without re-expansion pulmonary edema. (7.7 ± 9.1 and 2.4 ± 4.6 days). This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). The extent of lung collapse in the patients with re-expansion pulmonary edema was more severe than that observed in the patients without re-expansion pulmonary edema. This difference was also statistically significant (P = 0.004).

Conclusions

The results suggest that treating spontaneous pneumothorax using chest tube drainage requires careful consideration in view of the relatively high incidence of re-expansion pulmonary edema, especially in cases associated with long periods of lung collapse or large spontaneous pneumothoraxes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Feller-Kopman D, Berkowitz D, Boiselle P, Ernst A. Large-volume thoracentesis and the risk of reexpansion pulmonary edema. Ann Thorac Surg. 2007;84:1656–61.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Jones PW, Moyers JP, Rogers JT, Rodriquez RM, Lee YC, Light RW. Ultrasound-guided thoracentesis: is it a safer method? Chest. 2003;123:418–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ravin CE, Dahnash NS. Re-expansion pulmonary edema. Chest. 1980;77:709–10.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Yim AP, Liu HP. Complications and failures of video-assisted thoracic surgery: experience from two centers in Asia. Ann Thorac Surg. 1996;61:538–41.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Carlson RI, Classen KL, Gollan F, Gobbel WG Jr, Sherman DE, Christensen RO. Pulmonary edema following the rapid reexpansion of a totally collapsed lung due to a pneumothorax: a clinical and experimental study. Surg Forum. 1958;9:367–71.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Matsuura Y, Nomimura T, Murakami H, Matsushima T, Kakehashi M, Kajihara H. Clinical analysis of reexpansion pulmonary edema. Chest. 1991;100:1562–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Rozenman J, Yellin A, Simansky DA, Shiner RJ. Re-expansion pulmonary oedema following spontaneous pneumothorax. Resp Med. 1996;90:235–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. de Campos JR, Vargas FS, de Campos Werebe E, Cardoso P, Teixeira LR, Jatene FB, et al. Thoracoscopy talc poudrage: a 15-year experience. Chest. 2001;119:801–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Adegboye VO, Falade A, Osinusi K, Obajimi MO. Reexpansion pulmonary oedema as a complication of pleural drainage. Nigerian Postgrad Med J. 2002;9:214–20.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sohara Y. Reexpansion pulmonary edema. Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2008;14:205–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Mahfood S, Hix WR, Aaron BL, Blaes P, Watson DC. Reexpansion pulmonary edema. Ann Thorac Surg. 1988;45:340–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Echevarria C, Twomey D, Dunnin J, Chanda B. Does re-expansion pulmonary oedema exist? Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2008;7:485–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Sewell RW, Fewel JG, Grover FL, Arom KV. Experimental evaluation of reexpansion pulmonary edema. Ann Thorac Surg. 1978;26:126–32.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Doerschuk CM, Allard MF, Oyarzum MJ. Evaluation of reexpansion pulmonary edema following unilateral pneumothorax in rabbits and the effect of superoxide dismutase. Exp Lung Res. 1990;16:355–67.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Sohara Y. Reexpansion pulmonary edema—basic and clinic. Jpn J Clin Physiol. 2000;32:105–10.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

We have no financial or other interests in association with this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pneumothorax Research Center and Division of Thoracic Surgery, Nissan Tamagawa Hospital, 4-8-1 Seta, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-0095, Japan

    Takahiro Haga, Masatoshi Kurihara & Hideyuki Kataoka

Authors
  1. Takahiro Haga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Masatoshi Kurihara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hideyuki Kataoka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takahiro Haga.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Haga, T., Kurihara, M. & Kataoka, H. The risk for re-expansion pulmonary edema following spontaneous pneumothorax. Surg Today 44, 1823–1827 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-013-0726-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-013-0726-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation