Timothy has been having difficulty breathing since he had pneumonia last month. Recently he had severe pain in his chest and back, and his breathing was extremely irregular. The doctor at the emergency room told him that one of the lobes of his lung had collapsed. How could this happen?

What will be an ideal response?


Timothy suffered atelectasis, or lung collapse, most likely caused by air entering the pleural cavity due to a rupture of the visceral pleura. The rupture could have happened as a result of coughing during his bout with pneumonia.

Anatomy & Physiology

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Anatomy & Physiology

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Anatomy & Physiology