Side Pain.....Pneumothorax

[Kaitsmom]

Hello Everyone

Kait is complaining of having pain in her sides from her arms down the side of her ribs, she says that her left side hurts more but it really hurts when she breaths out air. Does anyone know what this could be or if it could be pneumothorax what signs do i need to look for ???? I am waiting for the hospital to call back, at first i thought that it was her lower stomach ( when she said it was her side ) but now i am wondering if it could be her lungs...

Kaitsmom<img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">

 

[paulaquinn]

Hiya Kaitsmom,

I have had some pneumothorax s and also pleursy of the lung, both can be similar in the pain stake but the once difference is you are very breathless with a pneumothorax and i could almost feel fluid or air not sure what it was but if i bent over i could feel this pain moving up and down my back as if it was moving within my lung. Its as if your breathing against something and each breath is a force, the pain is unreal. Pleursy can be equally as painful as its like your lung rubbing off barb wire when you breath, but i would advise you to act quick on this pain, i wouldnt wait around.

 

[JennifersHope]

Hi,

I would take her to get a chest x ray.. I have seen patients with Pneumothoraxs that were not real short of breath and their only symptom was side pain on expiration. It is uncommon for kids to get them though unless her lung involvement is severe...but still... other things you can look at to see is look at her chest as she is breathing to see is she has bilateral equal respirations.. like are both sides of her chest going up and down? Pain in the side also can mean pneumonia.. I know for me when I get the chest/side pain I either coughed to hard and pulled a muscle or I have pneumonia.. anyway.. best to let the DR know

I would go with your gut..I work in a peds ER and the parents usually know when something is off with their child. Anyway let us know how it turns out....

In my prayers,

Jennifer

 

[anonymous]

Hey Everyone

It is Kaitsmom again, thanks for all of your advice, and Jennifer you are right i agree parents normally know when something is not right. I talked to the Dr. again and i do not think that it is pneumothorax because Kaits lungs are pretty healthy for having CF, she does however seem to get pneumonia every winter for the past couple of years so that is my concern. Her cough has increased over the past few days and i was wondering if maybe she hurts from coughing. I am going to watch her closely over the night and if she doesnt feel any better than off to the hospital we go tomorrow, I think that the Drs think that i am overprotective parent because i do call them whenever anything is out of her norm.

Thanks for the advice, I pray that everything is OK , I just wish that i knew how she felt, and that i could take her pain away!!!!!

Kaitsmom<img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">