An area of hyperresonance on one side of the chest may indicate which condition?

• A. Pleural effusion
• B. Pneumonia
• C. Tension Pneumothorax
• D. Pulmonary edema

Answer: (C)

Hyperresonance on percussion on one side signals excess air in that chest area. The scenario most consistent with this finding is a pneumothorax, and when the air is under pressure and shifts structures, it’s a tension pneumothorax. The trapped air collapses the affected lung and can compress the heart and great vessels, rapidly turning into a life-threatening emergency.

Other conditions don’t fit with hyperresonance: pleural effusion produces dullness to percussion due to fluid in the space; pneumonia tends to cause localized dullness and auscultatory changes from consolidation; pulmonary edema often presents with crackles and may have other signs of fluid overload rather than a hollow, hyperresonant sound.