Treatment
Oxygen therapy
In case of open chest injury (Sucking chest wound), immediate coverage with an occlusive or pressure bandage.
Needle decompression should be attempted in the safety triangle which is formed by lateral border of the pectoralis major anteriorly, lateral border of the latissimus dorsi posteriorly and inferiorly, by a horizontal line from the nipple (commonly the 5th intercostal space)
Chest/Thoracic tube with underwater seal drainage system.
In case of recurrent pneumothorax, Pleurodesis is recommended, in which pleural space is obliterated to bring about adhesion of visceral pleural membrane to parietal pleural membrane. Mechanical Pleurodesis involves the use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to identify the parietal pleura, and rub an abrasive material against it. In Chemical pleurodesis, irritant agents such as talc, minocycline, betadine, doxycycline, and silver nitrate are introduced into the intrapleural space through a chest tube to induce an inflammatory response which results into adhesion of pleural membranes .