Impact Characteristics of Pneumothorax Videos Published on YouTube: 2020-2025

Background: Pneumothorax is a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by air accumulation in the pleural space, leading to partial or complete lung collapse. YouTube, as one of the most widely used digital platforms, has become a significant educational tool for medical learning. However, the quality and reliability of medical content on the platform remain variable. Given the limited number of studies assessing pneumothorax-related videos, this study aimed to evaluate the characteristics and engagement metrics of pneumothorax videos published on YouTube between 2020 and 2025.

Methods: A custom YouTube API-based data extraction tool was developed to collect pneumothorax-related videos and metadata. After excluding incomplete or irrelevant videos, a total of 570 videos were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were generated, and the interaction index was calculated as [(likes – dislikes) / total views] × 100. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27. Categorical data were expressed as frequencies and percentages, while non-normally distributed numerical variables were presented as medians and interquartile ranges. Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: Video publication increased markedly over time, peaking in 2025 (52.5%). The largest number of videos originated from India (22.1%) and the United States (18.2%). The interaction index significantly differed by year (test statistic=16.255, p=0.006), with 2025 showing higher engagement compared to 2024 (p=0.009). Median video duration was 60 seconds, median like count was 21, and median view rate was 645.33%.

Conclusion: Despite increasing engagement, variability in video quality underscores the need for medical professionals and educators to contribute accurate and evidence-based content.