Ahmad Mohamed Nabil*, Mahmoud K. Abdelatef, Mahmoud H. Abdalrazik, Yahia A. Alassal and Ahmed Mohamed Abdelhakim Mekkawy
Background: This study aims to establish the benefits of using chest tubes with negative pleural suction against trapped water in patients with penetrating or blunt chest trauma who underwent tube thoracostomy, in terms of the incidence of complications, such as persistent air leak, clotted hemothorax and duration of stay.
Methods: Patients who underwent tube thoracostomy because of traumatic pneumothorax, hemothorax or hemopneumothorax were randomly assigned into one of two groups: In group A, the chest tube was connected to a negative suction; in group B, no suction was connected.
Results: About 80 patients were included, 40 in the group with suction and 40 in the group without suction. There were some differences in the demographic characteristics of each group. There were some differences between the groups in terms of hospital stay (p=0.410), duration of airleak (p=0.502) and complications (p=0.607). However, the probability of air leak presence in time was greater for the group A patients with negative suction versus the group B patients.
Conclusion: The use of negative pleural suction did not demonstrate advantages over the chest drainage system without suction in patients with uncomplicated traumatic pneumothorax, hemothorax or hemopneumothorax, but the risk of surgical emphysema decrease with the use of negative pleural suction.
Published Date: 2023-10-26; Received Date: 2023-08-08
