How long would it take for a punctured lung to kill you?

Question

A character in a fanfiction I am writing gets a broken rib (or a few broken ribs, not positively sure yet) and it punctures her lung. I don't intend on killing her, by the way... just need to know how long it might theoretically take for her to die.

Anyway... I know that a punctured lung can result in a pneumothorax, but would that happen every time in this kind of case? Also, how long would it take for a regular pneumothorax to develop into a tension pneumothorax? And what EXACTLY might my character potentially die of? I know there are a few different answers to that question, please include as many as you can.

Thanks for your help!

P.S. No medical jargon, please. I know a little (kind of like my understanding of Spanish) but I'm not a doctor! Thanks.

Answer 1

A single puncture would not necessarily be fatal.

Answer 2

depending on the severity of the injury it could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours or days for a person to die from a punctured lung.

Answer 3

Once the "tension" component of a pneumothorax occurs ... death would ensue very quickly ... resulting from cardiovascular coollapse ... and respiratory failure ...

Essentially ... as the person begins to gasp .. air continues to accumulate in the chest and pushes the heart and other structures away from the site of the chest wound .... until it compromises the breathing and circulation ...

Answer 4

with the right treatment a punctunred lung is not fatal