3 ms·

Isn't applying negative pressure to the lung also a great way to collapse it?

• dsr_ 11y ago
  You can survive a single collapsed lung indefinitely. You only have a few minutes to survive not being able to breathe.
• xgbi 11y ago
  Better have a collapsed lung than no life at all. I've had multiple pneumothoraxes and I was able to breathe (suffering pain.. but I didn't die). You can fix that later with a drain.
• lungthrowa 11y ago
  If this thing can apply negative pressure to a lung, the airway isn't totally obstructed.
  • dragonwriter 11y ago
    > If this thing can apply negative pressure to a lung, the airway isn't totally obstructed. Conversely, the instant this thing succeed in dislodging an obstruction, it will apply negative pressure to a lung (or, really, two of them.)
• logfromblammo 11y ago
  No. The pressure inside the chest cavity, but outside the lungs, has to increase. This can be seen with a buildup of fluid, a sucking chest wound, punctured lung, or herniated diaphragm. With the pressure balance upset, the diaphragm can no longer move far enough to fully inflate the lung. If you apply vacuum to the airway, you're just going to pull the diaphragm way up into the chest cavity. The lung won't collapse unless the lung tissue itself rips, or the diaphragm gets herniated. This is probably not going to happen, unless you experience explosive decompression or actively try to hold your breath against the suction.