The evaluation of cases with pneumothorax in the neonatal intensive care unit

• Main Authors: Müsemma Karabel, Duran Karabel, Mehmet Hanifi Okur, İlhan Tan, Selvi Kelekci, Velat Şen, Ünal Uluca
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Modestum Publishing LTD 2013-09-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical and Experimental Investigations
• Subjects: Newborn; respiratuar distress; pneumothorax; treatment; outcome
• Online Access: http://www.jceionline.org/upload/sayi/18/JCEI-00848.pdf

Objectives: Early diagnosis and treatment is essentialin reducing mortality in newborns with pneumothorax. Inthis study, newborns with a diagnosis of pneumothorax inneonatal intensive care unit of our hospital were evaluatedand aimed to increase the awareness of physicians.Methods: 12 cases with pneumothorax were evaluatedretrospectively. The gender, birth weight, gestational age,mode of delivery, the presence of underlying disease,pneumothorax localization, implementation of the surfactantand mechanical ventilation and existence or absenceof mortality were recorded.Results: During the study, pneumothorax was detected12 patients. Male/female ratio was 1.4. Eight of the patientshad born with cesarean delivery, the mean birthweight of cases was 2623±912 g and, 66.7% of caseswere term babies. Pneumothorax was observed in thefirst week of life in all patients and it occurred spontaneouslyin 4 patients. The frequency of bilateral pneumothoraxwas 41.7%. For the treatment, closed tube drainagewas performed in 9 patients. The overall mortality ratewas 66.7%. Half of the patients who died had congenitalanomalies such as diaphragmatic eventration (n=1),hydrocephalus (n=1), encephalocel (n=1), non-immunehydrops fetalis (n=1).Conclusion: Additional congenital anomalies, such asPDAs and persistent pulmonary hypertension were foundto be effective on mortality in neonates with pneumothorax.Although, it is a life-threatening condition, the emergencytreatment is life saving. Therefore, in patients withrisk factors, keeping pneumothorax in mind is also thefirst step of the treatment. J Clin Exp Invest 2013; 4 (3):289-292Key words: Newborn, respiratuar distress, pneumothorax,treatment, outcome