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Spontaneous pneumothorax in children in the South‐east of Turkey
Author(s) -
Eren Sevval,
Gurkan Fuat,
Balci Akin E.,
Ulku Refik,
Onat Serdar,
Eren M. Nesimi
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-200x.2004.01957.x
Subject(s) - medicine , thoracostomy , pneumothorax , thoracotomy , etiology , surgery , chest tube , pleurodesis , pediatrics
Background: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the etiological factors, symptomatology, management and outcome of spontaneous pneumothorax in children aged <15 years.Methods: The authors’ reviewed the records of 44 children with spontaneous pneumothorax between January 1990 and February 2002.Results: The median age was 4.6 years (range 2 months–14 years), and 51% were male. Breathlessness and coughing were the most common symptoms. All pneumothoraces were initially managed by closed tube drainage. Thirty‐seven (84%) of the children responded well and were cured of pneumothorax with closed tube thoracostomy alone. Seven children (16%) underwent thoracotomy. The median hospital stay was 12.9 days. There were two deaths from respiratory failure. Six‐ to 96‐month follow‐up information was available for 32 patients, and only one recurrence was found.Conclusions: Lung infections were the most frequently observed underlying pathology in the patients studied. Closed tube thoracostomy alone was sufficient for the majority of patients.