Open Tension Pneumothorax in “The Dying Niobid” (Uffizi Gallery)

[摘要] Figures Figure 1 A, The “Dying Niobid” (Uffizi Gallery, Florence) shows the classic features of extreme asphyxia. B, Close-up of penetrating arrow wound which caused the open tension pneumothorax. (Reprinted with permission of The Ministry of the Cultural Heritage and Activities). Tension pneumothorax is reported to occur in 5% of patients with major trauma managed in the prehospital environment and 1% to 3% of adult ICU patients; however, a valid estimate of its incidence has still to be determined.¹ It requires emergency chest decompression with needle thoracostomy.^1,2 If not treated, it is associated with substantial mortality.¹ This procedure has been routinely used as a standard care of pneumothorax and hemothorax since the late 1950s.³ However, the initial idea of draining fluids from the pleural cavity using a drainage tube has its origin in ancient Greece.

[学科分类] 呼吸医学