Pediatr Neonatol
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Pneumonia is a life-threatening disease in children. With the current lack of universal diagnostic criteria, the diagnosis is usually made on clinical manifestations and findings from chest radiographs. Ultrasonography has recently been applied to the detection of pulmonary diseases. However, few data have been published showing its effectiveness in detecting pneumonia in children. The objective of this study was to determine the power of lung ultrasonography (LUS) for the diagnosis of pneumonia in children. ⋯ LUS is a sensitive diagnostic tool with which to identify pneumonia in children. It is also useful in following up the progress of pneumonia. We suggest that LUS is a complementary tool to chest radiography in the diagnosis of pneumonia in children and that the follow up of pneumonia by LUS can reduce the exposure of children to ionizing radiation.
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We determined the chest height in a cohort of patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) who had received chest radiographic examinations prior to the attack. The aim of this study was to determine when their chest height began to change and how this was related to the PSP. ⋯ The rapid increase in chest height and upper chest width is a unique finding in patients with PSP. It might be attributable to the occurrence of PSP. This finding may also help to identify patients who are at risk of PSP.
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Surfactant is a useful vehicle for the intratracheal delivery of medicine to the distal lung. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of intratracheal surfactant and budesonide instillation on the pulmonary distribution of fluorescent dye in mice. ⋯ Surfactant and budesonide enhance the pulmonary distribution of fluorescent dye in mice.
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Kawasaki disease (KD) is a type of febrile self-limiting systemic vasculitis, which affects the coronary arteries (CA) and may cause cardiac ischemia during childhood and adult life. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has become the standard therapy for KD. However, it is still uncertain if CA outcome is associated with the timing of IVIG administration with reference to fever onset. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that although IVIG treatment within 10 days is important to minimize development of cardiac pathology, neither occurrence of CA lesions in IVIG-treated children nor the time frame for resolution of established CA abnormalities was associated with the timing of IVIG administration. Age <1 year and high ESR (>40 mm/hour) predict a delay in resolution of CA lesions among children with KD.
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Pneumothorax is more frequent in the neonatal period, especially among premature infants. Pigtail catheters have been shown to be as effective as and less invasive than traditional chest tubes in adults; however, data regarding premature infants are limited. We aimed to compare the efficacy, safety, and complications associated with the placement of traditional chest tubes versus pigtail catheters in premature infants with pneumothoraces. ⋯ Pigtail catheters are a safe and effective alternative to traditional chest tubes for premature infants receiving treatment for pneumothoraces in a neonatal intensive care unit. Placement of pigtail catheters is an easy and quick bedside procedure and is particularly useful for premature infants who require immediate air drainage.