title: Pneumatoceles in infants in the neonatal intensive care unit: clinical characteristics and outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of neonatal intensive care unit patients with a radiographic diagnosis of pneumatocele.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our cohort (n = 27) had a gestational age of 27 ± 5 weeks, birth weight of 1038 ± 760 g, and a predominance of females (59%) and black infants (74%). All infants were ventilated at the time of diagnosis at a median age of 12 days (range: 5 to 105 days). Endotracheal cultures sent from 25 infants revealed bacteria in 20 (80%). Clinical diagnosis of pneumonia was made in 18 (67%) infants. Pneumatoceles resolved in 17 (63%) infants, but persisted in 10 (37%) infants. Compared with infants with resolution of pneumatoceles, mortality (70% versus 0%, p < 0.001), positive endotracheal cultures (100% versus 67%, p = 0.05), and clinical diagnosis of pneumonia (100% versus 47%, p = 0.005) were significantly higher in infants with persistent pneumatoceles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In infants with pneumatoceles, positive endotracheal culture is a frequent finding and correlates with persistence. Persistence of pneumatoceles is associated with a higher mortality.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Paediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Michigan and Hutzel Women's Hospital, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. parora@dmc.org
authors.forename: Prem
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Vaneet Kumar
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Kalra
authors.forename: Girija
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Natarajan
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies