All issues > Volume 33(7); 1990

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1990;33(7):907-914. Published online July 31, 1990.

Pulmonary Air Leaks in the Newborn.

Soon Wha Kim¹, Kyung Hee Kim¹, Young Jin Hong¹, Don Hee Ahn¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

Received: January 29, 1990;  Accepted: March 29, 1990.

Abstract

A clinical study was performed on 26 cases of pulmonary air leaks in the newborn who were admitted to the NICU of National Medical Center from Jan. 1984 to Aug. 1988 The results were as follows: 1) Spontaneous air leaks were 2 cases (7.7%)and secondary air leaks were 24 cases (92.3%). 2) Of the 26 cases of pulmonary air leaks, 13 cases (50.0%) had meconium aspiration syndrome, and 8 cases (30.8%) had hyaline membrane disease. 3) The clinical manifestations were tachypnea (84.6%), cyanosis (46.2%), bradycardia (42.3%), and chest retraction (38.5%) in order of frequency, and of mean age of onset, meconium a spiration syndromes were 29hours and hyaline membrane diseases were 47hours. 4) The sites of pulmonary air leaks were pneumothorax in 26 cases (100%), pneumomediastinum in 5 cases (19.2%), pulmonary interstitial emphysema in 4 cases (15.4%) and subcutaneous em- physema in 4 cases (15.4%). Of the 26 cases of pneumotorax, right pneumothorax were 19 cases (17.1%), left were 2 cases (7.7%) and both pneumothorax were 5 cases (19.2%). 5) The severity of pneumothorax were mild in 5 cases (19.2%), moderate in 7 cases (26.9%) and tension pneumothorax in 14 cases (53.9%). 6) Two cases of spontaneous air leaks and 1 case of mild pneumothorax were improved with oxygen therapy only, 1 case was improved with needle asiration with under water seal drainage and 22 cases were treated with chest tube insertion with under water seal drainage, but 11 cases (50.0%) were died among them.

Keywords :Pulmonary air leaks