What Precautions Are Required To Prevent Pheumothorax?

Posted on Sat, 21 Apr 2012

Question: Hi My Kid is now 1.5 yrs. At his birth he was kept in Ventilator because of this he got Pneumothorax. But it was cured fully. Actaully he did not have it by birth only because he was kept in ventilator this happened. My concern is will it occur again in future? What prcaution should i take? Please advice

Answered by Dr. Deepak Anvekar (8 hours later)

Hello XXXXXXX

Thanks for your query.

As you mentioned that your sons condition developed as a result of being on mechanical ventilation, there is nothing to be worried.

It is common for young babies , with respiratory difficulty to be ventilated with a artificial respirator. But due to the pressure applied to maintain the oxygen levels , the weak lungs tend to overexpand, resulting in tear of the outer layer of the lung and hence leak of air from the lung to the pleural cavity, hence causing pneumothorax.

But this is a benign condition, and once treated, and the patient recovers, there are no forms of any residual effects. There is no chance of recurrance either.

Hence you need not worry about recurrance. Precautions is to avoid respiratory infections or any conditions that can damage the lung and result in severe distress would be helpful

You might have to consult a pulmonologist , if you have any additional queries or doubts regarding the treatment.

In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.

Regards.

Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T