pulm/cc doc here. minimize the opiates and get on a regimen of around the clock nsaids - motrin q4-6 hours works great. most of your pain is pleuritic in nature and opiates suck at dulling that and simply put you to sleep. use the opiates for bad breakthrough pain only. use this for a few days and get them to start you on a ppi like nexium or h2 blocker like famotidine.
keep the oxygen on - even though you don't technically need it, it will help wash out the nitrogen within the pneumothorax faster.
push them to get you out of bed and walking around asap. use your incentive spirometer and make sure until you're out of bed that you have DVT prophylaxis going.
i'm sure you'll be fine. i treat at least 1-2 of you young skinny guys a week. good luck.
frogtinder111 karma
pulm/cc doc here. minimize the opiates and get on a regimen of around the clock nsaids - motrin q4-6 hours works great. most of your pain is pleuritic in nature and opiates suck at dulling that and simply put you to sleep. use the opiates for bad breakthrough pain only. use this for a few days and get them to start you on a ppi like nexium or h2 blocker like famotidine.
keep the oxygen on - even though you don't technically need it, it will help wash out the nitrogen within the pneumothorax faster.
push them to get you out of bed and walking around asap. use your incentive spirometer and make sure until you're out of bed that you have DVT prophylaxis going.
i'm sure you'll be fine. i treat at least 1-2 of you young skinny guys a week. good luck.
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