查看文章

The best management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax is unclear. Conservative treatment has been proposed, but no studies comparing conservative with invasive management have been carried out where pneumothorax size has been numerically quantified. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of conservative management for primary spontaneous pneumothoraces of any size.

Retrospective cohort study of adult patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax treated at an Australian tertiary hospital from 2006–2011, carried out by case‐note and chest radiograph review. Patient demographics, smoking status, and outcome data were collected. Pneumothorax size was calculated using the Collins method, based on the sum of interpleural distances.

One hundred and twenty‐seven episodes from 116 patients were identified. Males (86) comprised 75% of patients, and the …