Pneumothorax - infants
Alternate Names : Air leak syndrome
Symptoms & Signs
Many infants with pneumothorax do not have symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they can include: - Bluish skin color (cyanosis)
- Fast breathing
- Flaring of the nostrils
- Grunting with breathing
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Use of other chest and abdominal muscles to aid breathing (retractions)
Diagnosis & Tests
The nurses and doctors may have difficulty hearing breath sounds when listening to the infant’s lungs with a stethoscope. The heart or lung sounds may seem as if they are coming from a different part of the chest than normal. Tests for pneumothorax include: - Chest x-ray
- Light probe placed against the baby’s chest, also known as "transillumination" (pockets of air will show up as lighter areas)
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