Thoracostomy tubes after acute chest injury: relationship between location in a pleural fissure and function.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine how often chest tubes placed for acute trauma lie within a pleural fissure and to determine whether an intrapleural location influences outcome.


METHODS
Fifty-eight consecutive thoracostomy patients who had 66 chest tubes were studied prospectively. Tube location was determined from frontal and lateral chest radiographs. Outcome measures recorded included the following: duration of thoracostomy drainage, quantity of pleural fluid drained, need for further tubes, length of hospital stay, appearance on last chest radiograph before discharge, and need for surgical intervention.


RESULTS
Thirty-eight (58%) of the tubes were placed within a pulmonary fissure, 15 (23%) were posterior, nine (13%) were anterior, and four (6%) were in other locations. We found no significant difference in any of the outcome measures between tubes located in the fissure and other tubes.


CONCLUSIONS
A large percentage of tubes placed for acute chest trauma lie within a pleural fissure. These tubes, however, appear to function as effectively as those located elsewhere in the pleural space.
Curtin
J J
JJ
Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226.
Goodman
L R
LR
Quebbeman
E J
EJ
Haasler
G B
GB
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015505:Chest Tubes; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010994:Pleura / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D013907:Thoracostomy