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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · AJP Rep 2021; 11(02): e61-e64
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1727261
Case Report

Refractory Pulmonary Interstitial Emphysema in Extreme Premature Newborn

Mahmoud Ali 
1   Department of Pediatrics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Baylor Scott & White McLane Children's Medical Center, Temple, Texas
,
Lea Mallett
1   Department of Pediatrics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Baylor Scott & White McLane Children's Medical Center, Temple, Texas
,
Greg Miller
1   Department of Pediatrics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Baylor Scott & White McLane Children's Medical Center, Temple, Texas
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
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Abstract

Pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE) occurs when air leaks into the pulmonary interstitium due to overdistension of distal airways, it occurs mainly in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome who need positive pressure ventilation but has also been reported in spontaneously breathing infants. Herein, we report on an extremely low birth weight infant with severe persistent PIE, while on invasive mechanical ventilation (high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, high-frequency jet ventilation, and neurally adjust ventilator assist) managed successfully with 2 weeks of selective right lung ventilation after failure of more conservative measures, including shorter periods of right mainstem intubation, before the prolonged trial that was successful.

Keywords

pulmonary interstitial emphysema - air leak syndrome - prematurity - respiratory distress - selective intubation


Publication History

Received: 09 October 2020

Accepted: 08 December 2020

Article published online:
27 May 2021

© 2021. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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