Risk factors associated with neonatal pneumothorax in the neonatal intensive care unit: 10 years of experience in a single-center.

Abstract

Background: We aimed to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics, risk factors and prognostic factors affecting the clinical follow-up of patients who underwent tube thoracostomy due to pneumothorax in the neonatal intensive care unit of our hospital.

Methods: In our study; 54 cases with neonatal pneumothorax underwent tube thoracostomy followed up in the neonatal intensive care unit between April 2014 and March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: The gestational age of the cases was between 28 and 38 weeks; 24 (44.4%) were premature and 30 (55.6%) were 36 weeks and above. Of the cases included in the study, 35 (64.8%) had primary lung disease and 19 (35.2%) had other anomalies accompanying pneumothorax. Mechanical ventilation was needed in 35 (64.8%) of the 54 cases included in the study. While all patients who did not require mechanical ventilation recovered, 10 of 35 patients (28.6%) who required mechanical ventilation died. The body weight of 10 of these 35 cases (28.6%) was 2500 g or less.

Conclusion: It was determined that accompanying primary lung disease, the need to connect to a ventilator, and bilateral pneumothorax significantly affected mortality and prognosis in premature babies, especially those weighing less than 2500 g, who were followed in the neonatal intensive care unit.