introduction: transhiatal esophagectomy is a widely accepted approach for palliative resection of subcarinal esophageal cancers. this study was designed to evaluate the necessity of routine thoracostomy tube insertion in this technique.  methods: this descriptive study was conducted on 123 consecutive patients with esophageal cancers undergoing transhiatal esophagectomy from march 2001 to febru...

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and complications of surgical (large-bore) chest tube drainage with smaller and less invasive chest tubes in the treatment of non-traumatic pneumothorax (PT).  MATERIAL AND METHODS This was a retrospective study of 104 cases (94 patients) of non-traumatic PT treated with chest tubes - either by pulmonary physicians (daytime and we...

BACKGROUND Traditionally chest tubes are set to -20 cm H2O wall suctioning until removal to facilitate drainage of blood, fluid, and air from the pleural or mediastinal space in patients after open heart surgery. However, no clear evidence supports using wall suction in these patients. Some studies in patients after pulmonary surgery indicate that using chest tubes with a water seal is safer, b...

Background During cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), chest tubes can hinder increases in intrathoracic pressure by venting the pressure during chest compressions, thus reducing the blood flow generated by the thoracic pump effect. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of chest tubes on hemodynamic efficacy during standard CPR in a swine model of cardiac arrest. Methods...

BACKGROUND The use of 1 or more mediastinal chest tubes has traditionally been routine for all cardiac surgery procedures to deal with bleeding. However, it remains unproven whether multiple chest tubes offer a benefit over a single chest tube. METHODS All consecutive patients undergoing cardiac surgery (2005-2010) received at least 1 chest tube at the time of surgery based on surgeon prefere...

Intercostal drainage tubes (ie, chest tubes) are inserted to drain the pleural cavity of air, blood, pus, or lymph. The water-seal container connected to the chest tube allows one-way movement of air and liquid from the pleural cavity. The container should not be changed unless it is full, and the chest tube should not be clamped unnecessarily. After a chest tube is inserted, a nurse trained in...

BACKGROUND Recurrent pneumothorax is the most significant complication after discontinuation of thoracostomy tubes. The primary objective of the present study was to determine which method of tube removal, at the end of inspiration or at the end of expiration, is associated with a lesser risk of developing a recurrent pneumothorax. A secondary objective was to identify potential risk factors fo...

Although some techniques have been described for securing chest tubes, many complications are still reported. A simple method is described for securing chest tubes and closure of the wound, resulting in good fixation of the tube and an airtight closure of the chest wall with a cosmetically satisfactory result.