BACKGROUND No consensus exists as to whether antibiotic prophylaxis in tube thoracostomy as primary treatment for traumatic chest injuries reduces the incidence of surgical-site and pleural cavity infections. METHODS A systematic literature search was performed according to PRISMA guidelines to identify randomized clinical trials on antibiotic prophylaxis in tube thoracostomy for traumatic ch...

OBJECTIVE The management of parapneumonic effusions in children is controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of intrapleural tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in children who require tube thoracostomy for drainage of a complicated parapneumonic effusion. METHODS An observational cohort study was used to compare children who were treated with intr...

This study was performed to compare the amount of air leakage into the thoracic cavity associated with three thoracostomy tube materials (silicone, polyvinyl chloride, red rubber) in canine cadavers. Differences in intrapleural pressures (IPPs) measured before and after tube placement and before and after tube removal were calculated. The duration of air leakage around the tubes was assessed by...

A 54-year-old man with right aortic arch underwent left lower lobectomy and lingular segmentectomy, followed by complete pneumonectomy, for refractory nontuberculous mycobacterial infection. Three months after the pneumonectomy, he developed acute respiratory distress. Computed tomography showed an excessive mediastinal shift with an extremely narrowed bronchus intermedius and right lower bronc...