Background: Pneumothorax as a consequence of pulmonary barotrauma during explosive decompression military crew training in a hypobaric chamber is an extremely rare and sparsely diagnosed complication. Extensive bilateral tissue damage is even more unexpected. Case presentation: A 26-year-old active duty Air Force pilot was performing an explosive decompression simulation from 8000 ft. (2438.4 m) to 25,000 ft. (7620 m) in a 1.5 s interval. The training was interrupted due to the pilot’s apparent health complications. After transfer to the emergency department, a CT scan showed bilateral lung barotrauma with emphysema. Conclusions: The case report shows extensive emphysema and pneumothorax after a rapid decompression done for training purposes. It is a possible but rare complication. The cause remains unclear, with suspicion of a predisposed lung disease.
CITATION STYLE
Tlapák, J., Oniščenko, B., Došel, P., Požár, P., Chmátal, P., & Hájek, M. (2020). Rare pulmonary barotrauma after explosive decompression: a case report. BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-020-01321-5
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.