Pediatric spontaneous pneumothorax.

Spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) occurs when air enters the pleural space in the absence of a traumatic or iatrogenic etiology and is an uncommon phenomenon in the pediatric population. Although the typical presentation has been well described in the literature, much debate still surrounds the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of this condition in the pediatric population. To date, much of the emphasis in the pediatric literature has been on surgical options. Questions still remain regarding the true incidence of this disease in children, appropriate diagnostic imaging, and treatment recommendations for practitioners in the emergency department setting. This review of the evidence seeks to elaborate on current knowledge and clinical practice, as well as the applicability of adult recommendations to the pediatric population.

Is spontaneous pneumothorax really a pediatric problem? A national perspective.

OBJECTIVES: Research on spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) has focused on management strategies in adolescents and adults, yet pediatric population-based data are lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of SP in the pediatric population in different age groups. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of patients aged 0 to 17 years hospitalized with a diagnosis of SP from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database between 1997 and 2006. Trends of overall incidence and demographic information, including age, sex, length of stay, associated procedures, and associated conditions, were obtained and analyzed. RESULTS: The overall incidence of SP in children younger than 18 years increased from 2.68 per 100,000 population in 1997 to 3.41 per 100,000 in 2006. Average age (15.1 years; SE, 0.1 years), age distribution (83% = 15-17 years old), and hospital length of stay (4.7 days; SE, 0.1 days) remained constant. Between 1997 and 2006, males rose from 3.7 times to 4.2 times as likely to develop SP as females. In 2006, 70% of all hospitalized SP patients had therapeutic procedures documented: chest tube (32%), bleb excision (20%), and thoracotomy (8%) were the most common. Emphysematous bleb (21%), asthma (10%), and tobacco use (4%) were the most common associated diagnoses in 2006. CONCLUSIONS: Although uncommon in children, SP appears to be primarily a condition of males and adolescents and appears to be increasing in incidence in this population. According to these data, a large portion of children are being managed without procedural intervention.

Alignment of cricoid cartilage and esophagus and its potential influence on the effectiveness of Sellick maneuver in children.

OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of cricoid pressure in preventing aspiration of gastric contents during rapid sequence intubation may be limited if the esophagus is laterally displaced from the trachea at the level of the cricoid cartilage. Esophageal lateral displacement has been reported to occur in 50% to 90% of adults. Children 8 years and older assume the anatomic airway characteristics of adults, and therefore, we hypothesized that esophageal displacement would be significantly more common in older versus younger children. The purposes of this study were to determine the alignment of the trachea to the esophagus at the level of the cricoid cartilage on cervical spine or neck computed tomographic (CT) scans and to compare the frequency and quantity of esophageal displacement between children younger than 8 years and children 8 years and older. METHODS: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of children (aged 0-17 years) who had cervical spine/neck CT scans performed at a 110-bed urban children's hospital. Two pediatric radiologists blinded to the patients' clinical symptoms and signs and final diagnosis independently determined the alignment of the airway at the level of the cricoid cartilage with the esophagus from cervical spine/neck CT scans. Lateral displacement of the esophagus from the airway was determined by measuring the distance from the ipsilateral outer wall edges of the esophagus and trachea. RESULTS: There were 172 cervical spine/neck CT scans reviewed. Of 87 children younger than 8 years, 27 were excluded, and of 85 children 8 to 17 years, 25 were excluded. The remaining 120 patients were eligible for the study, 60 patients were younger than 8 years and 60 patients were aged 8 to 17 years. For children younger than 8 years, their mean age was 3.58 years. There were 34 (57%) males. The most common indication for CT scan of the cervical spine/neck was motor vehicle crash 26 (46%). For children aged 8 to 17 years, their mean age was 13.3 years. There were 30 (50%) males. The most common indication for CT scan of the cervical spine/neck was motor vehicle crash 34 (57%). Alignment of the airway with the esophagus showed esophageal displacement in 36 (30%) of the patients with displacement in 27 (45%) of the younger children compared with 9 (15%) of the older children. The rate of displacement was significantly greater in the younger children (difference in rates was 30% and 95% confidence interval was 14%-46%). All displacements were to the left. The mean distance of esophageal displacement was significantly greater in the older children (2.42 vs 1.81 mm). The difference in the means was 0.61 mm, and the 95% confidence interval was 1.2 to 0.02 mm. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first pediatric study on the rate and degree of esophageal displacement from the airway at the level of the cricoid cartilage. Lateral displacement of the esophagus occurred at a significantly greater rate in the younger (45%) compared with the older (15%) children, which was directly opposite of our hypothesis. Of the 36 children (30%) with esophageal displacement, all had displacement to the left of the cricoid cartilage.

Ipratropium bromide for acute asthma exacerbations in the emergency setting: a literature review of the evidence.

Since the 1970s, when inhaled anticholinergic agents were first introduced as adjunct therapies for the immediate treatment of pediatric asthma exacerbations, several trials have shown varying degrees of benefit from their use as bronchodilators in combination with inhaled short-acting beta-adrenergic agonists and systemic corticosteroids. Although other anticholinergics exist, ipratropium bromide (IB) specifically has emerged as the overwhelming choice of pulmonologists and emergency physicians because of its limited systemic absorption from the lungs when given as an inhaled preparation. However, although the varying trials, predominantly in the emergency department setting, have typically shown a trend toward improved outcomes, none has set forth clear dosing protocol recommendations for use by practicing physicians. It is our goal in this review of the available literature on the use of IB, as an adjunct to inhaled short-acting beta-adrenergic agonists, to summarize practical, evidence-based recommendations for use in the pediatric emergency department setting for acute asthma exacerbations. We also hope to better delineate the most effective dosing regimen in those patients who might benefit most from the addition of IB and to explore proposed additional benefits it may have as a modulator of cholinergic-induced effects from high-dose beta-agonist therapy and viral triggers.