ArticleCureus2026
Bilateral Tension Pneumothorax Following Unilateral Endobronchial Valve Placement: A Case Report.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Endobronchial valves (EBVs) are increasingly used as a minimally invasive treatment option for selected patients with severe emphysema and hyperinflation. Pneumothorax is a recognized complication of EBV placement, typically occurring ipsilateral to the treated lung. To our knowledge, bilateral tension pneumothorax is exceedingly rare and potentially life-threatening. We report the case of a 61-year-old man with severe emphysema and hyperinflation who was admitted to the intensive care unit for monitoring after unilateral EBV placement in the right upper lobe. On the second day of admission, while breathing spontaneously, he developed sudden severe respiratory distress and hemodynamic instability. Bedside thoracic ultrasound, performed immediately during equipment preparation and prior to definitive imaging, demonstrated bilateral absence of lung sliding, supporting the diagnosis of bilateral tension pneumothorax. Immediate bilateral needle decompression was followed by chest tube insertion. The patient experienced cardiac arrest with pulseless electrical activity but achieved return of spontaneous circulation after prompt intervention. A persistent high-output right-sided air leak remained despite five days of spontaneous ventilation, necessitating valve removal and chemical pleurodesis, with complete resolution of the pneumothorax. This case illustrates a rare and catastrophic complication of unilateral EBV placement, likely related to abrupt post-procedural changes in lung mechanics and stress redistribution in severely emphysematous lungs. Early recognition, rapid bilateral decompression, and the adjunctive use of bedside thoracic ultrasound were critical for patient survival. Bilateral tension pneumothorax, although rare, should be considered in patients with acute respiratory or hemodynamic deterioration after EBV placement. Prompt diagnosis, supported by point-of-care ultrasound, and decisive management are essential. Persistent air leaks may require valve removal and pleurodesis, highlighting the need for individualized therapeutic strategies in this high-risk population.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.