title: [Management of spontaneous pneumothorax: nationwide fact-finding survey among Italian thoracic surgery units].
abstract: Spontaneous pneumothorax, in both the primary and secondary variants, is a relatively frequent disease, occurring at all ages. Management of spontaneous pneumothorax is not standardised. Furthermore, few attempts have been made in the literature to codify the diagnostic workup and treatment. The aim of the present study is to report the results of a nationwide fact-finding survey, focused on current practice in the management of spontaneous pneumothorax by thoracic surgeons. A questionnaire, consisting of items in 6 major areas, was prepared and e-mailed to 49 thoracic surgery units in Italy. Thirty-five centres responded. The results (collected in a database presented at the XXX Congress of the Italian Society of Thoracic Surgeons in October 2006) show agreement on some questions (surgical indications, thoracoscopy as the first-choice surgical technique, use of mechanical staplers...) and a great variability of ideas and attitudes on others (CT scanning in primary spontaneous pneumothorax, definition of persistent air-leak, clamping of the chest tube before removal, pleurodesis techniques, postoperative chest X-ray schedule...). It is the authors' opinion that further work is needed in order to achieve a greater measure of agreement in the management of primary and secondary pneumothorax.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Perugia, Sede di Perugia, SC di Chirurgia Toracica, Perugia.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ragusa
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martelli
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Breda
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carbognani
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardillo
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Griffo
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucchi
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Monaco
authors.forename: Uliano
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pecoriello
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Puma
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sensi
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Daddi
mesh_terms: D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods