Pneumothorax (Collapsed Lung in Spanish

What it means

A pneumothorax is an abnormal collection of air in the space between the thin layer of tissue that covers the lungs and the chest cavity, which can cause all or part of the lung to collapse, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). MedlinePlus covers it under the title collapsed lung, which occurs when air escapes from the lung, and says pneumothorax is the medical name of the condition. NCI says a pneumothorax may be caused by a chest injury, certain medical procedures or lung disease, and that sometimes the cause is not known. The most common symptoms are sudden chest pain and trouble breathing. Some types may go away on their own, but others may be life threatening. Emergency signs need urgent care (call 911 in the U.S.).

Pneumothorax (Collapsed Lung) in Spanish

Spanish term: Neumotórax (pulmón colapsado)
Gender and article: masculine: el neumotórax
Pronunciation: neh-oo-moh-TOH-rahks (pool-MOHN koh-lahp-SAH-doh)

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
colapso pulmonar	General	Name MedlinePlus en español uses in the title of its article, with neumotórax in parentheses.

Neumotórax is the entry word in the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary and in the Spanish dictionary, which marks it as a masculine medical noun: the entry of air into the pleural cavity through a perforation of the pleura. None of the pages cited here prints the parenthetical pulmón colapsado; the plain-language name they give is colapso pulmonar. MedlinePlus en español titles its article Colapso pulmonar (neumotórax) and says el término médico para esta afección es neumotórax.

MedlinePlus en español writes un neumotórax pequeño and un neumotórax grande, and uses neumotórax espontáneo or colapso pulmonar espontáneo for one that occurs without any cause. The tube that English calls a chest tube is a sonda pleural on that page, and pleurodesis is spelled the same in both languages. The NCI's Spanish dictionary uses the verb desinflarse for the lung collapsing: todo el pulmón o una parte de este se desinfle.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I suddenly got a sharp pain in my chest, and it is hard to breathe.	De repente me dio un dolor agudo en el pecho, y me cuesta respirar.
Clinician	Does the pain get worse when you take a deep breath or cough?	¿El dolor empeora cuando respira profundo o tose?
Patient	Yes, and I also feel it in my shoulder.	Sí, y también lo siento en el hombro.
Clinician	I am going to listen to your breathing, and then we will take a chest x-ray.	Voy a escucharle la respiración, y luego le haremos una radiografía de tórax.
Clinician	The x-ray shows a pneumothorax, which is also called a collapsed lung.	La radiografía muestra un neumotórax, que también se llama colapso pulmonar.
Patient	I had a collapsed lung three years ago. Can it happen again?	Tuve un colapso pulmonar hace tres años. ¿Puede volver a pasar?
Patient	Will I need a chest tube, or will it go away on its own?	¿Voy a necesitar una sonda pleural, o desaparecerá por sí solo?
Clinician	Do you smoke, or have you ever been told that you have a lung disease?	¿Fuma, o le han dicho alguna vez que tiene una enfermedad pulmonar?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Pneumothorax (Collapsed Lung)
Spanish (Español)	Neumotórax (pulmón colapsado)
Chinese (中文)	氣胸
Korean (한국어)	기흉
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Tràn khí màng phổi
Filipino (Tagalog)	Pneumothorax (bumagsak na baga)
Portuguese (Português)	Pneumotórax (pulmão colapsado)
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	ลมรั่วในช่องเยื่อหุ้มปอด
Japanese (日本語)	気胸

Where you'll see it

chartEOBmedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: J93 → Pneumothorax and air leak

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Lungs and breathing

All terms in this area: Lungs and breathing — Pulmones y respiración

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.