title: Incidence and outcome of tube thoracostomy positioning in trauma patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the frequency of use, placement site, success and misplacement rates, and need for intervention for tube thoracostomies (TTs), and the complications with endotracheal intubation associated with TT in the prehospital setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a five-year, retrospective study using the records of 1,065 patients who were admitted to the trauma emergency room at a university hospital and who had received chest radiographs or computed tomography (CT) scans within 30 minutes after admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven percent of all patients received a TT (5% unilateral, 2% bilateral). Ninety-seven percent of all patients with a TT were endotracheally intubated. The success rate for correctly placed chest tubes was 78%. Twenty-two percent of the chest tubes were misplaced (i.e., too far in the chest, twisted, or bent); half of those had to be corrected, with one needing to be replaced. There were no statistical differences in the frequency of Monaldi or Bülau positions, or the frequency of left or right chest TT. In addition, the two positions did not differ in misplacement rates or the need for intervention. Helicopter emergency medical services physicians used the Monaldi position significantly more frequently than the Bülau position. In-hospital physicians performing interhospital transfer used the Bülau position significantly more frequently, whereas ground emergency medical physicians had a more balanced relationship between the two positions. Tube thoracostomy had no influence on endotracheal tube misplacement rates, and vice versa.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tube thoracostomy positioning mostly depends on the discretion of the physician on scene. The Monaldi and Bülau positions do not differ in misplacement or complication rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital at Ulm, Germany. momaybau@utmb.edu
authors.forename: Marc O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Maybauer
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Geisser
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: Dirk M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Maybauer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015505:Chest Tubes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013907:Thoracostomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult