Chest indrawing occurs because of the contraction of the thoracic accessory muscles(6). Any condition that causes either reduced lung compliance, like pneumonia, or increased tissue/airway resist-ance, like asthma, causes chest indrawing(7). Moreover, the prevalence of asthma is increasing globally(8).
Is chest Indrawing normal?
Look for chest indrawing as you would look for chest indrawing in an older infant or young child. However, mild chest indrawing is normal in a young infant because the chest wall is soft. Severe chest indrawing is very deep and easy to see. Severe chest indrawing is a sign of pneumonia and is serious in a young infant.
What causes Indrawing?
Chest indrawing, as defined by the WHO IMCI guidelines, is the abnormal inward movement of subcostal tissue (ie, the tissue inferior to the costal cartilage of the lower anterior chest wall) during inspiration [2, 3], and in children, chest indrawing often occurs during respiratory diseases with poorly compliant, or “ …