Pneumothorax

To examine rates, trends, predictive risk factors, and outcomes associated with pneumothorax in neonates. Retrospective analyses were used to estimate rates and assess trends in pneumothorax among early preterm (GA <32 weeks), moderate-late preterm (GA 32-36), and term (GA ≥37 weeks) neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) participating in the Canadian Neonatal Network™ from 2005 to 2011. For each GA group, multivariable logistic regression models were derived to predict pneumothorax using risk factors with known clinical relevance. Additional logistic regression analyses assessed associations between pneumothorax and mortality, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and intraventricular hemorrhage. The study included 71,237 neonates; of them 16,985 (24%) early preterm, 27,709 (39%) moderate-late preterm, and 26,543 (37%) term neonates. The overall rate of pneumothorax by GA was bimodal with estimates of 4.0%, 2.6%, and 6.7% respectively. No significant temporal trends we...

During the recent United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) and Joint Trauma System (JTS) assessment of prehospital trauma care in Afghanistan, the deployed director of the Joint Theater Trauma System (JTTS), CAPT Donald R. Bennett, questioned why TCCC recommends treating a nonlethal injury (open pneumothorax) with an intervention (a nonvented chest seal) that could produce a lethal condition (tension pneumothorax). New research from the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR) has found that, in a model of open pneumothorax treated with a chest seal in which increments of air were added to the pleural space to simulate an air leak from an injured lung, use of a vented chest seal prevented the subsequent development of a tension pneumothorax, whereas use of a nonvented chest seal did not. The updated TCCC Guideline for the battlefield management of open pneumothorax is: ?All open and/ or sucking chest wounds should be treated by immediately applying a vented chest seal to c...

Safe and reliable venous access is mandatory in modern health care, but central venous catheters (CVCs) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, This paper describes current Swedish guidelines for clinical management of CVCs The guidelines supply updated recommendations that may be useful in other countries as well. Literature retrieval in the Cochrane and Pubmed databases, of papers written in English or Swedish and pertaining to CVC management, was done by members of a task force of the Swedish Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine. Consensus meetings were held throughout the review process to allow all parts of the guidelines to be embraced by all contributors. All of the content was carefully scored according to criteria by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. We aimed at producing useful and reliable guidelines on bleeding diathesis, vascular approach, ultrasonic guidance, catheter tip positioning, prevention and management of associated trauma and infection, and specific training and follow-up. A structured patient history focused on bleeding should be taken prior to insertion of a CVCs. The right internal jugular vein should primarily be chosen for insertion of a wide-bore CVC. Catheter tip positioning in the right atrium or lower third of the superior caval vein should be verified for long-term use. Ultrasonic guidance should be used for catheterisation by the internal jugular or femoral veins and may also be used for insertion via the subclavian veins or the veins of the upper limb. The operator inserting a CVC should wear cap, mask, and sterile gown and gloves. For long-term intravenous access, tunnelled CVC or subcutaneous venous ports are preferred. Intravenous position of the catheter tip should be verified by clinical or radiological methods after insertion and before each use. Simulator-assisted training of CVC insertion should precede bedside training in patients. Units inserting and managing CVC should have quality assertion programmes for implementation and follow-up of routines, teaching, training and clinical outcome. Clinical guidelines on a wide range of relevant topics have been introduced, based on extensive literature retrieval, to facilitate effective and safe management of CVCs.

Background; Drowning is defined as respiratory impairment due to submersion/immersion in liquid. The liquid/air interface at the entrance of the airway prevents the victim from breathing air. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 0.7% of all deaths worldwide – or more than 500,000 deaths each year – are due to unintentional drowning. Drowning is the second leading cause of unnatural death after road traffic injuries. Most of these deaths occur in countries with low or middle per capita income. Case; A16-years-old man rescued after drowning in the mud puddle for 15 minutes. He was unconscious, cyanosis, dyspnea and cough with blood and mud. After receiving oxygen in the nearest hospital he got conscious but still dyspnea. He came to our hospital and after undergone several examination we concluded that he had lung edema, ARDS and pneumonia aspiration. Patient immediately intubated and got mechanical ventilation. Five days later patient encounter pneumothorax on the right hemithorax, maybe due to barotrauma and we perfomed a chet tube insertion for three days. Patient had a good progression, there was no deficit neurologic and injury in the other organ. On follow up five months after patient hospitalized revealed normal condition on chest x ray.