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International Expert Consensus and Recommendations for Neonatal Pneumothorax Ultrasound Diagnosis and Ultrasound-guided Thoracentesis Procedure
05:50

International Expert Consensus and Recommendations for Neonatal Pneumothorax Ultrasound Diagnosis and Ultrasound-guided Thoracentesis Procedure

Published on: March 12, 2020

Evidence-based management of paediatric primary spontaneous pneumothorax

Paul D Robinson1, Peter Cooper, Sarath C Ranganathan

  • 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, NSW, 2145 Australia. paulr3@chw.edu.au

Paediatric Respiratory Reviews
|August 5, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Paediatric primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) incidence is unclear, with varied management approaches. Research is needed to establish evidence-based guidelines for treating PSP in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Thoracic Surgery
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • The incidence of paediatric primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is not well-established, though general population rates range from 6 to 18 per 100,000.
  • While tension pneumothorax management is standardized, other aspects of paediatric PSP treatment lack consistent guidelines.
  • Familial cases suggest a potential genetic predisposition in some paediatric PSP instances.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the current uncertainties in paediatric primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) management.
  • To emphasize the need for evidence-based guidelines tailored to children.
  • To advocate for multicentre research due to the condition's low incidence in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on paediatric primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP).
  • Analysis of current management practices and consensus levels.
  • Identification of research gaps and recommendations for future studies.

Main Results:

  • Paediatric PSP has a potentially higher recurrence rate than in adults.
  • Apical lung cysts or bullae do not reliably predict recurrence in paediatric PSP.
  • Surgical intervention decisions for paediatric PSP should be guided by documented recurrence.

Conclusions:

  • There is a significant lack of paediatric-specific evidence for managing primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP).
  • Extrapolating adult data to paediatric cases is not recommended.
  • Multicentre research is essential to develop informed management strategies for paediatric PSP.

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