Which term is defined as collapsed lung without trauma?

• A. Oxygen Therapy
• B. Pleural Space
• C. Pulmonary Embolism
• D. Spontaneous Pneumothorax

Answer: (D)

Spontaneous pneumothorax describes a collapsed lung that occurs without trauma. A pneumothorax is air in the pleural space, which disrupts the negative pressure that normally keeps the lung inflated. Without that seal, the lung cannot stay fully expanded and may collapse partially or completely. When this happens without any injury or medical procedure, it’s termed spontaneous pneumothorax, and it can be primary (in otherwise healthy people) or secondary (in those with underlying lung disease).

Oxygen therapy is a treatment used for respiratory distress, not a definition of a collapsed lung. The pleural space is the potential gap between the two pleural layers, not the collapse itself. A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot blocking a pulmonary artery, not a collapsed lung.