TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Pneumoperitoneum A1 - Gomella, Tricia Lacy A1 - Eyal, Fabien G. A1 - Bany-Mohammed, Fayez Y1 - 2020 N1 - T2 - Gomella's Neonatology: Management, Procedures, On-Call Problems, Diseases, and Drugs, 8e AB - A pneumoperitoneum is seen on an abdominal radiograph. A pneumoperitoneum is an abnormal collection of free air in the peritoneal cavity. The air can be secondary to perforation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (most common, approximately 90% of cases) or from the respiratory tract, or it can be idiopathic with no known cause. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) with perforation is the most common cause of a pneumoperitoneum in the neonate, and it carries a high mortality rate. Approximately 78.5% of pneumoperitoneums were secondary to NEC; therefore, a neonate with a pneumoperitoneum requires immediate evaluation and treatment because early recognition is important in successful management. It is important to note that a diagnosis of a pneumoperitoneum does not always imply a GI perforation. Careful assessment of each case can limit unnecessary laparotomies and their surgical complications. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/19 UR - accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1168356974 ER -