Question
Lately, I’ve been feeling that our teacher hasn’t been in good spirits. When I asked him the reason, he said that his newborn child has a disease called pneumothorax, what is this condition?
Answer
Mild cases of pneumothorax may not present with clinical symptoms, and their signs are often not obvious. Most cases are discovered during X-ray examinations. Severe cases may only show increased respiratory rate. In severe cases, the ill child becomes restless, experiences difficulty breathing, and may turn blue. Typical symptoms include the affected chest being larger than the healthy side, intercostal spaces being full, hollow sounds on percussion, and reduced or absent breath sounds upon auscultation. When the intrathoracic pressure is higher than atmospheric pressure, it is called high-pressure pneumothorax, which can cause the mediastinum to shift towards the healthy side.