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International Expert Consensus and Recommendations for Neonatal Pneumothorax Ultrasound Diagnosis and Ultrasound-guided Thoracentesis Procedure
Published on: March 12, 2020
Identification of pneumothorax in very preterm infants
Risha Bhatia1, Peter G Davis, Lex W Doyle
1Neonatal Services, The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. risha.bhatia@thewomens.org.au
Insights
Pneumothorax in very preterm infants significantly increases mortality and lung disease severity. Higher inspired oxygen levels in the first 12 hours may identify infants at risk for this condition.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Perinatal Research
Background:
- Pneumothorax is a serious complication in very preterm infants.
- Early identification of risk factors is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare morbidities in very preterm infants with and without pneumothorax.
- To identify early indicators for pneumothorax risk in this population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective comparison of very preterm infants (23-28 weeks gestation) with and without pneumothorax.
- Analysis of demographic and clinical data from birth through 72 hours.
Main Results:
- Pneumothorax occurred in 9.2% of infants.
- Mortality was significantly higher in the pneumothorax group (43% vs 13%).
- Higher inspired oxygen levels in the first 12 hours were associated with pneumothorax.
Conclusions:
- Pneumothorax is linked to increased mortality and lung disease severity in the first day of life.
- Inspired oxygen fraction in the first 12 hours may predict pneumothorax risk.
Objective:
To compare respiratory and other morbidities between very preterm infants with and without a pneumothorax and to determine whether infants at higher risk of pneumothorax can be identified early in their course.
Study Design:
Preterm infants at 23 to 28 weeks' gestation with pneumothorax were compared with matched control subjects. Demographic and clinical data from birth through the first 72 hours were compared.
Results:
Sixty-two (9.2%) of 675 infants had pneumothorax. There were no significant differences in the baseline maternal and infant characteristics. Mortality was significantly higher in the pneumothorax group (43%) versus control subjects (13%). There was no significant difference in continuous positive airway pressure or surfactant treatment or rates of intraventricular hemorrhage or bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Infants treated with early continuous positive airway pressure in the delivery room typically had pneumothorax on day 2 of life. Those who had pneumothorax had higher inspired fraction of oxygen before its diagnosis and over the first 12 hours of life than did control subjects.
Conclusions:
Pneumothorax is associated with increased mortality and with severity of lung disease in the first day of life. It may be possible to identify babies at highest risk of pneumothorax on the basis of inspired fraction of oxygen in the first 12 hours of life.
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