What do sternal retractions look like

Asthma is a chronic condition that causes inflammation and narrowing of the airways. This leads to wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Pneumonia occurs when your lungs become inflamed from an infection. It can be very mild in some cases and life-threatening in others. It can also lead to serious complications, especially in older adults and those who have weak immune systems.

Epiglottitis occurs when the cartilage that covers the top of your windpipe becomes swollen and prevents air from reaching your lungs. This is a life-threatening medical emergency. It causes serious difficulty breathing. It happens mostly in children under 5 years old, and it requires prompt medical treatment and sometimes surgery to prevent it from blocking the airways. It occurs most often in babies under 6 months old and is more common during winter.

You can usually treat this at home. If your baby has intercostal retractions or is otherwise working hard to breathe with this illness, seek medical care right away.

Bronchiolitis usually goes away in about a week. It causes a loud, barking cough. It typically sounds worse in children under 3 years old because their airways are smaller. Though intercostal retractions are not common with croup, if you do see them, seek medical care.

Aspiration occurs when you inhale or swallow a foreign object that becomes stuck and causes breathing problems. A foreign object lodged in your windpipe can cause intercostal retractions.

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Create Account. Advanced Search. Skip Nav Destination Article Navigation. Close mobile search navigation Article navigation. Volume 25, Issue 6. Previous Article Next Article. Article Navigation. This Site. Google Scholar. Sternal retractions are inward movement of the breastbone towards the back of the body. This entry was posted in Emergency Medicine , Pediatric Advanced Life Support , Pediatrics and tagged emergency medicine , respiratory distress. Bookmark the permalink.

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