Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 30, 2025

Protocol and Guidelines for Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound in Diagnosing Neonatal Pulmonary Diseases Based on International Expert Consensus
06:15

Protocol and Guidelines for Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound in Diagnosing Neonatal Pulmonary Diseases Based on International Expert Consensus

Published on: March 6, 2019

50.9K

Sudden unexpected death in infancy: Severe pulmonary anatomopathological findings in spite of inconsistent clinical

Maria S Pignotti1, Aniello Maiese2, Sara Ugolini1

  • 1Meyer Children Hospital, Florence, Italy.

The Medico-Legal Journal
|July 5, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Interstitial lung disease, often triggered by respiratory infections, is a key factor in sudden infant death (SID). Complete post-mortem investigations are crucial for diagnosing these challenging cases.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric pathology
  • Pulmonary medicine
  • Forensic science

Background:

  • Respiratory tract infections are implicated in sudden infant death (SID).
  • Diagnosing these infections can be challenging due to non-specific clinical and radiological signs.
  • Sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) often requires thorough investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of interstitial lung disease in unexplained SUDI cases.
  • To highlight the diagnostic challenges in identifying infection-related lung disease in infants.
  • To emphasize the importance of comprehensive post-mortem examinations.

Main Methods:

  • Case study of three infants (two male, one female) presenting with mild respiratory distress.
  • Complete post-mortem investigations, including histological examination.
  • Analysis of clinical and pathological findings.

Main Results:

  • Interstitial lung disease was identified as the cause of death in all three cases.
  • The lung disease was linked to infection-related processes.
  • Clinical and histological patterns of the disease were variable.

Conclusions:

  • Infection-related interstitial lung diseases are significant in unexplained SUDI/SIDS.
  • Diagnostic difficulties arise from variable clinical and histological presentations.
  • Complete post-mortem investigations are essential for sudden and unexpected infant deaths.
Keywords:
Sudden unexpected deathinterstitial lung diseasepost-mortem investigations

More Related Videos

A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn11:27

A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn

Published on: April 7, 2023

6.9K
Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension and Assessment of Right Ventricular Function in the Piglet09:22

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension and Assessment of Right Ventricular Function in the Piglet

Published on: November 4, 2015

12.4K

Related Concept Videos

Pulmonary Cycle: Exhalation01:17

Pulmonary Cycle: Exhalation

In terms of human respiration, the act of expelling air, known as exhalation (or expiration), operates on the principle of pressure gradients. During expiration, the pressure within the lungs exceeds that of the surrounding atmosphere. Under normal conditions, quiet breathing involves passive exhalation and is free of muscular contractions. This is because the exhalation process is driven by the natural elastic recoil of the lungs and chest wall, both of which have an inherent tendency to...
2.2K
Pulmonary Embolism I: Introduction01:29

Pulmonary Embolism I: Introduction

Pulmonary embolism (PE) occurs when a thrombus, fat or air embolus, amniotic fluid, or tumor tissue blocks one or more pulmonary arteries. These blockages originate in the venous system or the right side of the heart.EtiologyPE primarily arises from deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and other hypercoagulable states, such as inherited thrombophilias. Additional etiological factors include venous stasis, commonly seen in obesity, and endothelial injury from surgery and trauma. Less common causes include...
206
Acute Respiratory Failure-II01:21

Acute Respiratory Failure-II

Type I Respiratory Failure, or hypoxemic respiratory failure, occurs when the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) in arterial blood falls below 60 mmHg while breathing room air without a corresponding increase in arterial carbon dioxide levels (PaCO2). This condition highlights a significant impairment in the lungs' capacity to oxygenate the blood.
The underlying physiological abnormalities that contribute to hypoxemic respiratory failure include:
557
Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology01:29

Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology

The pathophysiology of pneumonia involves the following steps:
1.3K
Pulmonary Hypertension: Classification and Pathogenesis01:30

Pulmonary Hypertension: Classification and Pathogenesis

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a severe health condition in which the mean pulmonary arterial pressure increases to 25 mmHg or more, even when the body is at rest. This high pressure in the blood vessels that transport blood from the heart to the lungs can cause various symptoms, including shortness of breath, can lead to right heart failure, and significantly affect the overall quality of life.
There are various classifications for PH, each relating to different underlying causes and also...
358
Pneumothorax-I01:26

Pneumothorax-I

A pneumothorax is a condition where air builds up in the space between the lung and the chest wall, causing the lung to collapse. This condition arises when air enters the space between the parietal and visceral pleura, disrupting the negative pressure essential for lung inflation. This can lead to a partial or complete collapse of the lung.
Pneumothorax can be even further classified as spontaneous, traumatic, and tension pneumothorax.
661