Timely Management of Simultaneous Bilateral Spontaneous Pneumothorax: A Near-Death Experience

Abstract

Simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax is a situation that rarely occurs. The patient can have various presentations, from dyspnoea and chest pain to significant respiratory failure. Although it causes lung collapse in nearly two thirds of cases, early diagnosis and treatment are of the utmost importance. Here, we present the case of an 18-year-old boy who presented with complaints of sudden onset respiratory distress. He was immediately put on mechanical ventilation. He was diagnosed with simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax on chest X-ray. He needed bilateral intra-thoracic drainage, following which a video-assisted thoracoscopy was done on the left side.