Question

How would a stab wound that has punctured the pleural cavity on the right lateral side at the level of intercostal space 8 affect the right lung?

(A) There would be no effect; the right lung is superior to intercostal space 8.

(B) Only the inferior lobe of the right lung would collapse.

(C) The right lung would collapse.

(D) Both lungs would collapse.

Answer 1

A stab wound at the 8th intercostal space could collapse the right lung due to a breach of the pleural cavity, disrupting the negative pressure essential for lung expansion.

Step-by-step explanation:

A stab wound that has punctured the pleural cavity at the level of the 8th intercostal space on the right lateral side would most likely result in the collapse of the right lung. This is because the introduction of air into the pleural space disrupts the negative pressure normally maintained within the pleural cavity.

This negative pressure is important because it keeps the lungs inflated by sticking the lung surface to the chest wall through liquid adhesion. Once air enters this space, the connection is severed, and the lung can collapse in a condition known as pneumothorax.

The inferior lobe of the right lung would certainly be affected, but depending on the extent of the pneumothorax, it is possible for the entire right lung to collapse, not just the inferior lobe. The left lung would typically remain unaffected unless the injury was so severe that it compromised the mediastinum, the central compartment of the thoracic cavity.