What clinical sign may suggest a pneumothorax in a pediatric patient?

A decreased breath sound on one side of the chest is a clinical sign that may suggest the presence of a pneumothorax in a pediatric patient. In the case of a pneumothorax, air enters the pleural space, leading to lung collapse on the affected side. This collapse can significantly reduce or eliminate the sounds produced by airflow during respiration in that area.

Unlike wheezing, which typically indicates airway constriction or obstruction and would often be heard bilaterally in conditions like asthma or wheezing illnesses, decreased breath sounds are localized to the affected lung. An increased heart rate may be present in various clinical conditions, but it is nonspecific and not solely indicative of a pneumothorax. Fever and cough suggest an infectious process that would not necessarily relate to the presence of air in the pleural space.