Pneumothorax Management Pathway — free guideline decision tool

This tool gives management decisions for tension, primary spontaneous, and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax per BTS 2023.

Tension → conservative; symptomatic → aspiration/Heimlich/drain.

Use to act immediately on tension pneumothorax and to choose conservative care, aspiration, or drainage for spontaneous pneumothorax by symptoms and size.

Tension pneumothorax is a clinical diagnosis treated before imaging, whereas stable spontaneous pneumothorax is managed by symptoms rather than size alone. (original synthesis · not guideline verbatim) Recurrence or persistent air leak prompts VATS with pleurodesis and smoking cessation.

For licensed clinicians and clinical researchers. Interpret results with history, investigations and local protocols; not a diagnosis or prescription, and not a substitute for multidisciplinary decision-making or local guidelines.

Calculation runs locally in the browser; inputs and results are not uploaded. For licensed clinicians only; interpret with history, investigations and local protocols — not a diagnosis or prescription.

Inputs: Type Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP, no underlying lung disease), Symptoms/size Minimal symptoms/small → Result: Pneumothorax [Pending update] Some thresholds, grades and management recommendations on this page that conflict with current guidelines or are unverified are temporarily hidden pending verification against the guideline text.（Management: [Pending update] Some thresholds, grades and management recommendations on this page that conflict with current guidelines or are unverified are temporarily hidden pending verification against the guideline text., Escalation: Worsening symptoms/enlargement → needle aspiration or drainage, Basis: BTS 2023 spontaneous pneumothorax guideline）