Diagnosis and Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax in the Emergency Department: A Review of the Most Current Clinical Evidence for Diagnosis and Treatment

Background: Spontaneous non-traumatic pneumothorax is a relatively common clinical presentation in the Emergency Department. The diagnosis of spontaneous non-traumatic pneumothorax has evolved from basic chest radiography to the reference standard of CT imaging. Point-of-care ultrasound is another highly sensitive diagnostic modality that has gained increasing acceptance. Finally, the treatment of this type of pneumothorax has also been rapidly changing.