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

Published on: March 12, 2020

Neonatal and infant pulmonary thromboembolism: a literature review

Bosco A Paes1, Kim Nagel, Irene Sunak

  • 1McMaster University, Department of Pediatrics (Neonatal Division), Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Blood Coagulation & Fibrinolysis : an International Journal in Haemostasis and Thrombosis
|September 28, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is rare and underdiagnosed in infants. Current evidence for diagnosis and treatment of infant PTE is limited, necessitating further research.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Pulmonary Medicine

Background:

  • Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is uncommon but likely underdiagnosed in neonates and infants.
  • Existing literature on infant PTE lacks consistency in presentation, diagnosis, and treatment strategies.
  • Pulmonary air embolism (PAE) is a related condition with a higher reported mortality rate.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and assess the consistency of presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of PTE in infants.
  • To develop a diagnostic and management algorithm for infant PTE based on current evidence.
  • To identify research gaps and advocate for future studies.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature review of articles on PTE in infants (<1 year).
  • Independent article selection and verification by two authors.
  • Categorization of cases into neonates (≤28 days) and infants (>28 days to 1 year).

Main Results:

  • Analysis of 45 articles comprising 157 cases (121 neonates, 36 infants) of PTE.
  • All included reports were descriptive; no randomized controlled trials or prospective studies were found.
  • Significant variability in diagnostic and treatment approaches, directly impacting patient outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Limited scientific data exists to guide evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of infant PTE.
  • The absence of rigorous clinical trials hinders the development of standardized management protocols.
  • Large-scale, multicenter collaborative studies are essential to establish effective PTE management in this population.

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