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Home-Based Management of a Child With Persistent Pulmonary Air Leak Complicated by Pneumonia

Dhruba Shrestha1, Sampurna Man Tuladhar2, Manoj Krishna Shrestha1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Siddhi Memorial Hospital (for Women and Children), Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Case Reports in Pulmonology
|May 15, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Community-acquired pneumonia can lead to persistent air leaks in children, a rare but serious complication. This case demonstrates successful home-based management of a persistent pulmonary air leak in a pediatric patient with pneumonia, avoiding surgery.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Thoracic Surgery
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Pneumothorax involves air leakage into the pleural space.
  • Community-acquired pneumonia is an infrequent cause of pediatric pneumothorax.
  • Persistent air leak, defined as air leakage lasting over 7 days, can complicate pneumonia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a case of persistent pulmonary air leak secondary to pneumonia in a child.
  • To highlight the potential for conservative domiciliary management of persistent air leak.
  • To emphasize the need for a multidisciplinary approach in managing complex pediatric respiratory conditions.

Main Methods:

  • A 6-year-old girl with pneumonia, empyema, and a persistent pulmonary air leak was managed.
  • Initial treatment involved chest tube drainage.
  • Subsequent management transitioned to home-based care with parental training and remote monitoring.

Main Results:

  • The persistent air leak resolved with home-based care.
  • The chest tube was successfully removed without complications.
  • The child demonstrated clinical improvement under conservative management.

Conclusions:

  • Domiciliary care, with meticulous parental training and remote guidance, can be effective for persistent air leak.
  • Conservative management may be a viable alternative to definitive surgery in select pediatric cases.
  • Multidisciplinary collaboration is crucial for managing complex pediatric respiratory issues.
Abstract

Keywords:
empyemahome-based carepediatricpneumoniapulmonary air leak

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