Synopsis Pneumothorax in a newborn can cause or exacerbate respiratory distress and may prove to be life-threatening. Treatment options include expectant management, needle aspiration (NA), and chest drain (CD) insertion. Studies have demonstrated that NA is a better choice of management in adults when compared with CD. This week’s “ MED FACT ” discusses a randomized clinical trial from JAMA Pediatrics, “ Effect of Needle Aspiration of Pneumothorax on Subsequent Chest Drain Insertion in Newborns: A Randomized Clinical Trial ”, 2018. Authors : M. C.
Murphy, C. Heiring , N. Doglioni, et. al. Key Takeaways The use of needle aspiration reduced the rate of chest drain insertion in symptomatic newborns with pneumothorax on chest radiography. Objective: To investigate whether treatment of pneumothoraxes with NA in newborn (on respiratory support) results in fewer infants having CDs inserted…
