A medical strategy to reduce persistent chest tube drainage after the fontan operation.
A standardized medical regimen aimed at reducing pleural effusions after the Fontan operation was compared with a randomly selected retrospective cohort. The duration of chest tube drainage, hospital stay, and the need for pleural sclerosis were significantly reduced, indicating that postoperative management plays an important role in reducing this morbidity.
Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Herma Heart Center, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. jcava@chw.org
Joseph R
JR
Cava
Sarah M
SM
Bevandic
Michelle M
MM
Steltzer
James S
JS
Tweddell
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015505:Chest Tubes; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D018729:Fontan Procedure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions
D012597:Sclerosing Solutions