Subcutaneous emphysema causes
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Overview
Overview
Subcutaneous emphysema can result from puncture of parts of the respiratory or gastrointestinal systems. Particularly in the chest and neck, air may become trapped as a result of penetrating trauma (e.g., gunshot wounds or stab wounds) or blunt trauma. Infection (e.g., gas gangrene) can cause gas to be trapped in the subcutaneous tissues. Subcutaneous emphysema can be caused by medical procedures and medical conditions that cause the pressure in the alveoli of the lung to be higher than that in the tissues outside of them.[1] Its most common causes are pneumothorax and an improperly functioning chest tube. It can also occur spontaneously due to rupture of the alveoli, with dramatic signs.[2] When the condition is caused by surgery it is called surgical emphysema.[3] The term spontaneous subcutaneous emphysema is used when the cause is not clear.[2] Subcutaneous emphysema is not usually serious in and of itself, but the underlying causes, such as pneumothorax, can be.[4]
References
References
- ↑
Maunder RJ, Pierson DJ, Hudson LD (1984). “Subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema. Pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management”. Arch. Intern. Med. 144 (7): 1447–53. PMID 6375617. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1
Parker GS, Mosborg DA, Foley RW, Stiernberg CM (1990). “Spontaneous cervical and mediastinal emphysema”. Laryngoscope. 100 (9): 938–940. PMID 2395401. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary (6th ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. 2003. ISBN 0-19-860753-9.
- ↑ Brooks DR (1998). Current Review of Minimally Invasive Surgery. Philadelphia: Current Medicine. p. 36. ISBN 0-387-98338-4.
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