Which sign is not typically associated with pneumothorax?

• A. Absent breath sounds
• B. Hyperresonant percussion
• C. Tracheal deviation
• D. Wheezing

Answer: (D)

Recognising signs of pneumothorax hinges on how air in the pleural space changes the chest exam. When the lung on one side collapses, breath sounds over that side are often absent or markedly reduced. The extra air in the chest also makes percussion hyperresonant because air yields a louder, deeper sound than normal lung tissue. In a tension pneumothorax, accumulating air pushes the mediastinal structures, causing the trachea to shift away from the affected side. Wheezing, by contrast, comes from narrowed or inflamed airways and is not a typical feature of pneumothorax itself; it may appear if there’s concurrent bronchospasm or another airway condition, but it’s not caused by air in the pleural space.