@Article{, title={A Prospective Study of Neonatal Pneumothorax in Holy Karbala}, author={Firas Shakir Al-Fahham and Khalid Khaleel –Araji and Hasan Mohammedridha AL- Qazzaz}, journal={Karbala Journal of Medicine مجلة كربلاء الطبية}, volume={8}, number={1}, pages={2093-2097}, year={2015}, abstract={background: Pneumothorax is the accumulation of air in the space between the parietal and visceral pleura, and is potentially a very serious problem, especially if it occurs in the neonatal population.Patients and Method: A prospective data of sixty newborn infants with pneumothoraces were observed and treated at the Neonatal Care Units in teaching pediatric hospital and gynecological and obstetric teaching hospital in karbala, Iraq, between January 2012 and January 2014 are included in this descriptive study.Patients were evaluated for: sex, gestational age, birth weight; method of delivery; time of pneumothorax development; localization of pneumothorax and the presence of concurrent lung pathology.Diagnosis of pneumothorax done by clinical assessment, and chest X-rays. symptomatic patients were treated with a tube thoracostomy and closed underwater drainage.Results: Sixty neonates with pneumothoraces were included in this study. Sixty three percent of patients were male. Fifty five percent of patients were preterm babies. Fifty three percent were delivered by caesarean section. Seventy seven percent of pneumotoraces were on the right side. Seventy percent cases of pneumothoraces were presented within the first 48 hours of life. Seventy three percent diagnosed as respiratory distress syndrome which is the most common pathology. Mechanical ventilation was performed in 8 patients, including four of the six fatal cases. Tube thoracostomy and closed underwater drainage were performed in 56 patients (93%), while peumothorax resolved spontaneously in four cases. Mortality rate was 10%.Conclusion: pneumothorax may develop during the neonatal period, especially in the presence of risk factors. Treatment is effective, if the disease is recognized and treated as early as possible.

} }