Atelectasis

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Bronchoscopy

Lungs

Respiratory system

Atelectasis is the collapse of part or all of a lung.

See also: Pneumothorax

Partial lung collapse

Atelectasis is caused by a blockage of the air passages (bronchus or bronchioles) or by pressure on the outside of the lung.

Risk factors for developing atelectasis include:

• Anesthesia
• Foreign object in the airway (most common in children)
• Lung diseases
• Mucus that plugs the airway
• Pressure on the lung caused by buildup of fluid between the ribs and the lungs
• Prolonged bed rest with few changes in position
• Shallow breathing
• Tumors that obstruct the airway may lead to atelectasis

Review Date: 08/29/2008
Reviewed By: Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, WA; Benjamin Medoff, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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