Articles Related to pneumothorax
Percutaneous Pigtail Catheters for Management of Neonatal Pneumothorax: A Better Alternative to Chest Tube Thoracostomy
Background: Pneumothorax is potentially a life-threatening condition in neonates with little compensatory pulmonary
reserve. Hemodynamically significant pneumothorax requires drainage with large-bore chest tubes, and more recently
with small-calibre percutaneous pigtail catheters.
This study aims to explicate the effectiveness and safety of both the drainage systems exploring ease of insertion, rates of
air-leak resolution, recurrence rates as well as potential procedural complications.
Methods: This was a retrospective observational audit reviewing medical records of newborns with symptomatic pneumothorax admitted to tertiary neonatal intensive care unit over 4-year duration, and treated with either chest tube or
pigtail catheters as the initial treatment approach. Demographic data, details related to pneumothorax, drain related parameters as well as outcome and efficacy parameters were compared among these two methods of intervention.
Results: Out of 51 drainage procedures, 27 infants underwent pigtail insertion compared to 24 infants requiring chest
tube thoracostomy. Baseline demographic data, time for radiological clearance and resolution of air leak, duration of drain
in-situ, recurrence and complication rate, as well as hospitalisation duration were comparable among the two groups.
Group of infants who underwent pigtail insertion required significantly less sedation (51.9% vs 83.3%; p=0.021) and
invasive ventilation (63% vs 95.8%; p=0.011) than chest tube insertion. Significantly smaller calibre (8.22±1.6Fr vs
9.08±1.44Fr; p<0.05) catheter was required for pneumothorax drainage with pigtail catheter whose insertion was reported
to be more operator friendly
Penetrating Arrow Wound of the Chest - A Case Report
In ancient India arrow injury was prevalent as it was a one of the most frequently used weapon. With passage of time use of bow and arrow became restricted to tribal area and its use became limited mostly to hunting. But in the recent years with progressively increasing terrorist activity in some areas arrow injuries are becoming more and more frequent.
Procalcitonin versus C-Reactive Protein in Neonatal Sepsis
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common serious bacterial infection in febrile children younger than 3 months, with reported rates ranging from 5% to 20% depending on different series. Neonates and infants up to age 2 months who have pyelonephritis usually do not have symptoms localized to the urinary tract.