title: Complications of needle thoracostomy: A comprehensive clinical review.
abstract: Needle thoracostomy (NT) is a valuable adjunct in the management of tension pneumothorax (tPTX), a life-threatening condition encountered mainly in trauma and critical care environments. Most commonly, needle thoracostomies are used in the prehospital setting and during acute trauma resuscitation to temporize the affected individuals prior to the placement of definitive tube thoracostomy (TT). Because it is both an invasive and emergent maneuver, NT can be associated with a number of potential complications, some of which may be life-threatening. Due to relatively common use of this procedure, it is important that healthcare providers are familiar, and ready to deal with, potential complications of NT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wernick
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States.
authors.forename: Heidi H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States.
authors.forename: Ronnie N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Mubang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cipriano
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States.
authors.forename: Ronson
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, United States.
authors.forename: Demicha D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Rankin
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, United States.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States.
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Burfeind
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States.
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Hoey
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cipolla
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, United States.
authors.forename: Sagar C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Galwankar
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, United States.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Papadimos
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States ; Department of Research and Innovation, St Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States.
authors.forename: Stanislaw P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Stawicki
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Summa Health System and Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Akron, Ohio, United States.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Firstenberg
keywords: Complications; emergent chest decompression; needle thoracostomy; tension pneumothorax