Part UT Health San Antonio
UT Health San AntonioUT Health San Antonio

UTSA Part of UT Health San Antonio

Contact Us | 210-450-9000

Menu
  • Find a Provider
  • Services
  • Cancer Types
  • Locations
  • Patient Care
  • Cancer Center
  • MyChart
  • X
  • Conditions
  • Conditions In-depth
  • Procedures
  • Wellness Centers
  • Natural & Alternative
  • Drug Info
  • Procedure Animations
  • Wellness Videos
Symptom CheckerQuick Nav
 
Health Library Home>Disease, Condition, & Injury Fact Sheets>Article

Pulmonary Contusion

Pull-mo-nair-e Con-too-zhun

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA
Definition
Causes
Risk Factors
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention

Definition

A pulmonary contusion is a bruise -like injury to the lungs.

The Lungs (cut-away view)

Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

Causes

A pulmonary contusion is caused by blunt trauma or occasionally by penetrating trauma to the chest wall.

Risk Factors

Factors that may increase the risk of pulmonary contusion include:

  • Being in a motor vehicle accident
  • Playing contact sports
  • Gunshot wound to the chest
  • Falls in the home
  • Taking blood thinners

Symptoms

Symptoms may not occur right away but can develop and worsen 24-48 hours after the injury. Symptoms can include:

  • Chest pain
  • Difficulty breathing

Diagnosis

You will be asked about how you got injured, your symptoms, and your medical history. A physical exam will be done. Your bodily fluids may be tested with blood tests to look for signs of internal bleeding.

Images may be taken of your chest to look for evidence of damage to lung tissue or other chest structures. This can be done with:

  • Chest x-ray
  • CT scan

Treatment

A pulmonary contusion can also result in complications, such as a collapsed lung or chest bleeding. It may also go along with other chest injuries, such as broken ribs or lung laceration. These injuries can interfere with the ability to breathe properly. Without proper treatment, complications, such as pneumonia, may result.

Treatment will depend on the severity of your injury and other injuries you may also have. Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Options include:

Emergency Medical Care

Close monitoring will be needed. Emergency care may include:

  • Pain medication
  • Oxygen therapy to improve the amount of oxygen in the blood
  • Mechanical ventilation to take over or support breathing if the lung is severely damaged

Medications

Over-the-counter or prescription pain medication may be advised to reduce pain.

Prevention

Prevention will depend on the cause, but may include:

  • Wearing appropriate safety equipment when playing contact sports
  • Wearing a seatbelt when in a motor vehicle to help prevent accident-related chest trauma
RESOURCES:

Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians
http://familydoctor.org

Trauma.org
http://www.trauma.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca

Trauma Association of Canada
http://www.traumacanada.org

REFERENCES:

Chest trauma. Trauma.org website. Available at: http://www.trauma.org/archive/thoracic/CHESTcontusion.html. Accessed November 28, 2017.

Pulmonary contusion. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/injuries-poisoning/thoracic-trauma/pulmonary-contusion. Updated January 2017. Accessed November 28, 2017.

Pulmonary contusion. Radiopaedia.org website. Available at: http://radiopaedia.org/articles/pulmonary-contusion. Accessed November 28, 2017.

Pulmonary contusion. University of Connecticut—Korey Stringer Institute website. Available at: http://ksi.uconn.edu/emergency-conditions/internal-trauma/pulmonary-contusion. Accessed November 28, 2017.

Pulmonary contusion—emergency management. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T908625/Pulmonary-contusion-emergency-management. Accessed November 28, 2017.

Last reviewed November 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review Board James Cornell, MD  Last Updated 12/21/2016

EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.

Copyright ©  EBSCO Information Services
All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | Editorial Policy
Physicians and care providers of
UT Health San Antonio

8300 Floyd Curl Dr.

San Antonio, TX 78229

210-450-9000

Connect with us
  • Patient Rights and Responsibilities
  • Language Assistance
We make lives better ©

We're a part of UT Health San Antonio, provider of comprehensive health,  dental, &  cancer care,  advanced academics  and  life-saving research.

Web Privacy | Links from websites affiliated with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio's website (uthscsa.edu) to other websites do not constitute or imply university endorsement of those sites, their content, or products and services associated with those sites. The content on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Health information on this site is not meant to be used to diagnose or treat conditions. Consult a health care provider if you are in need of treatment.