pediatrics
Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
Symptoms and Signs of Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
Signs of meconium aspiration syndrome include tachypnea, nasal flaring, retractions, cyanosis or desaturation, rales, and rhonchi. Greenish yellow staining of the umbilical cord, nail beds, or skin indicates prolonged (several hours) exposure to meconium in utero. Such staining may indicate prolonged fetal distress and possibly the physiologic changes leading to meconium aspiration syndrome. Meconium staining may be visible in the oropharynx and (on intubation) in the larynx and trachea. Neonates with air trapping may have a barrel-shaped chest and also symptoms and signs of Pneumothorax , 