title: [Dangers and risks of thoracic drainage at the accident site].
abstract: For several years it has been argued that a chest tube should be placed at the scene of an accident if thoracic trauma is suspected. However, during emergency treatment in hospital it has been observed that a high number of such tubes have been placed incorrectly. To validate this impression, we conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical course of 33 trauma victims who had chest tubes placed at the scene of accident. It was found that 39.4% of the chest tubes were placed completely incorrectly and 21.2% required some correction; 39.4% were placed correctly. In two cases (6.1%) life-threatening complications developed because of the chest tube, necessitating a thoracotomy in 1 patient and repeated pericardial punction in the other. Based on the results of our study we believe that a more critical attitude should be adopted to the placement of chest tubes at the scene of the accident.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Unfall- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Berufsgenossenschaftliches Unfallkrankenhaus Hamburg.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wolter
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D015505:Chest Tubes; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*
vernacular_title: Gefahren und Risiken der am Unfallort gelegten Thoraxdrainagen.