We aimed to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics, risk factors and prognostic factors affecting the clinical follow-up of patients who underwent tube thoracostomy due to pneumothorax in the neonatal intensive care unit of our hospital.

In our study; 54 cases with neonatal pneumothorax underwent tube thoracostomy followed up in the neonatal intensive care unit between April 2014 and March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.

The gestational age of the cases was between 28 and 38 weeks; 24 (44.4%) were premature and 30 (55.6%) were 36 weeks and above. Of the cases included in the study, 35 (64.8%) had primary lung disease and 19 (35.2%) had other anomalies accompanying pneumothorax. Mechanical ventilation was needed in 35 (64.8%) of the 54 cases included in the study. While all patients who did not require mechanical ventilation recovered, 10 of 35 patients (28.6%) who required mechanical ventilation died. The body weight of 10 of these 35 cases (28.6%) was 2500 g or less.

It was determined that accompanying primary lung disease, the need to connect to a ventilator, and bilateral pneumothorax significantly affected mortality and prognosis in premature babies, especially those weighing less than 2500 g, who were followed in the neonatal intensive care unit.