Transillumination
of the chest with a fibre-optic light may diagnose a pneumothorax.
The room must be
darkened, or a guard placed over the baby's chest.
The
affected side of the chest should illuminate/glow more than the non affected
side.
Transillumination may
be of limited value in large babies. A negative result should
not delay an x-ray in a baby with a clinical picture of possible
pneumothorax.
