[Pneumothorax in the newborn (author's transl)]

47 cases of Pneumothorax (P) were encountered among 3679 consecutive patients of the neonatology unit of the Landes Kinderkrankenhaus Linz (= 1.3%). Of these 47 cases 38 occurred in artificially ventilated patients this amounts to 11.7% of all 325 ventilated newborn babies during the study period. Only 9 Pneumothoraces (= 0.24%) occurred spontaneously. Pneumothoraces in non ventilated patients were confined to the first few hours of life while the risk of pneumothorax is equally spread over the ventilation period in babies on respirators. Pneumothoraces which occurred in ventilated babies showed always tension signs while only 2 of the 9 spontaneously occurring pneumothoraces showed increased tensions. Transillumination of thorax was extremely helpful as bedside test for diagnosis.