title: Digital versus traditional air leak evaluation after elective pulmonary resection: a prospective and comparative mono-institutional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increased demand to reduce costs and hospitalization in general pushed several institution worldwide to develop fast-tracking protocols after pulmonary resections. One of the commonest causes of protracted hospital stay remains prolonged air leaks (ALs). We reviewed our clinical practice with the aim to compare traditional vs. digital chest drainages in order to evaluate which is the more effective to correctly manage the chest tube after pulmonary resection.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients submitted to elective pulmonary resection for lung malignancies, between April to December, 2014 in our General Thoracic Surgery Department were included in the study. The primary outcome was the chest tube duration, the secondary the postoperative overall hospitalization. Significant differences between traditional and digital groups were investigated with logistic regression models. Numerical variables between the groups were compared by means of the unpaired Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both series of patients were comparable for clinical, surgical and pathological characteristics. Chest tube duration showed to be significantly shorter in the digital group (3 vs. 5 days, P=0.0009), while the hospitalization was longer in traditional one [8 vs. 7 days in digital drainage (DD); P=0.0385]. No chest drainage replacement was required at 30-day, in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We were able to demonstrate that patients managed with a digital system experienced a shorter chest tube duration as well as a lower overall hospital length of stay, compared to those who received the traditional drainage (TD).
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy ; 2 Service of Pulmonology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Pier Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Filosso
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy ; 2 Service of Pulmonology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Victor Auguste
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Nigra
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy ; 2 Service of Pulmonology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lanza
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy ; 2 Service of Pulmonology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Costardi
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy ; 2 Service of Pulmonology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bora
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy ; 2 Service of Pulmonology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Solidoro
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy ; 2 Service of Pulmonology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo Carlo
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Cristofori
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy ; 2 Service of Pulmonology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molinatti
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy ; 2 Service of Pulmonology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo Olivo
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Lausi
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy ; 2 Service of Pulmonology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruffini
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy ; 2 Service of Pulmonology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oliaro
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy ; 2 Service of Pulmonology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guerrera
keywords: Air leak (AL); chest drainage; digital chest drainage system; postoperative management; traditional chest drainage system