The incidence of pulmonary air leak in 230 infants with a birth weight of 500-999 g who were ventilated was 41%. Pulmonary interstitial emphysema occurred in 35%, pneumothorax in 20%, pneumomediastinum in 3%, and pneumopericardium in 2%. The survival rates in those with or without pulmonary air leak were not significantly different in the first four years of the study period (46% v 53%). As the...

Severe acute chest syndrome afflicts patients with sickle cell disease and can cause hypoxemia refractory to conventional treatments. Obstructive mucus plugging and the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome may underlie the pathophysiology of refractory hypoxemia in acute chest syndrome. Although high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) is well established in the treatment of ...

A 33-year-old male visited the emergency room with abdominal pain which developed after a vomiting episode. Based on the pneumomediastinum findings from a chest radiograph and a contrast-enhanced chest and abdominal computed tomography scan, the patient was diagnosed with Boerhaave's syndrome. Preoperative radiologic findings showed no pneumothorax or pleural effusion. Once anesthesia was admin...

Subcutaneous facial emphysema is a well-known consequence of oral and maxillofacial traumatic injury. In some rare cases, the subcutaneous air collection could spread through retropharyngeal paralatero-cervical spaces, reaching mediastinum. A 55-year-old man was presented to emergency room after blast injury caused by blown truck tire while trying change tires. The chest radiograph demonstrated...

A 63-yr-old man (height, 173 cm) with a remote history of bronchiectasis and a double lung transplant was emergently intubated during a recent bout of bronchitis. An air leak was noted with positive-pressure ventilation through an 8.0-mm cuffed endotracheal tube until the cuff contained 12 ml air, with a cuff pressure of 22 cm H2O. This computed tomographic image shows the following: (A) the en...

Pneumomediastinum is the presence of air in the mediastinum. It may occur as spontaneous, traumatic, or iatrogenic pneumomediastinum. Although spontaneous pneumomediastinum is usually observed in healthy young men, traumatic pneumomediastinum may be caused by blunt or penetrating trauma to the chest and neck. Pneumomediastinum is a clinical condition with potential complications that cause high...

BACKGROUND Pulmonary infections caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii in immunocompromised host can be associated with cysts, pneumatoceles and air leaks that can progress to pneumomediastinum and pneumothoraxes. In such cases, it can be challenging to maintain adequate gas exchange by conventional mechanical ventilation and at the same time prevent further ventilator-induced lung injury. We report ...

Pneumomediastinum, the presence of free air within the mediastinal cavity, is sometimes accompanied by subcutaneous emphysema and pneumorrhachis (air within the spinal canal). We report the case of a 28-year-old man with previously undiagnosed HIV who was diagnosed with extensive pneumomediastinum, pneumorrhachis, and subcutaneous emphysema secondary to Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia after pre...

This article intends to review literature on high frequency oscillatory ventilation and describe its main clinical applications for children and neonates. Articles from the last 15 years were selected using MedLine and SciElo databases. The following key words were used: high frequency oscillatory ventilation, mechanical ventilation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, children, and new-born. ...

Pneumomediastinum is defined as the presence of air or other gas in mediastinum and also known mediastinal emphysema [1]. can be categorized spontaneous (SPM) traumatic. Traumatic pneumomediastinum caused by blunt penetrating trauma to chest, iatrogenic injury, such that produced thoracic surgery. Mechanical ventilation a common cause barotrauma pneumomediastinum. mechanical often considered ty...