Final answer:
The NOT a sign or symptom of a tension pneumothorax among the options is actually a symptom: Hyperresonance on percussion is associated with pneumothorax, indicating an air-filled space, while the other options listed are indeed signs of tension pneumothorax.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks which of the following is NOT a sign or symptom of a tension pneumothorax: 1) Chest pain 2) Shortness of breath 3) Decreased breath sounds on affected side 4) Hyperresonance on percussion. Tension pneumothorax is a medical emergency characterized by the accumulation of air under pressure in the pleural space, which can lead to lung collapse and can be life-threatening.
Symptoms typically include chest pain, shortness of breath, and decreased breath sounds due to the collapsed lung. Hyperresonance on percussion, which denotes an increased resonance or hollow sound when the chest is tapped, is actually a symptom associated with pneumothorax, not an absence of it, which would be the case in a solid mass like a consolidation in pneumonia.
In tension pneumothorax, air that enters the chest cavity cannot escape, leading to increased pressure on the lungs and heart. This can shift the mediastinum to the opposite side of the chest, affecting heart function and blood flow, and causing severe respiratory distress. Other signs of tension pneumothorax may include a deviation of the trachea away from the affected side, hypotension, tachycardia, and distended neck veins.