Outpatient Treatment for Pneumothorax Using a Portable Small-Bore Chest Tube: A Clinical Report.
BACKGROUND
For treatment of pneumothorax in Korea, many institutions hospitalize the patient after chest tube insertion. In this study, a portable small-bore chest tube (Thoracic Egg; Sumitomo Bakelite Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) was used for pneumothorax management in an outpatient clinic.


METHODS
Between August 2014 and March 2015, 56 pneumothorax patients were treated using the Thoracic Egg.


RESULTS
After Thoracic Egg insertion, 44 patients (78.6%) were discharged from the emergency room for follow-up in the outpatient clinic, and 12 patients (21.4%) were hospitalized. The mean duration of Thoracic Egg chest tube placement was 4.8 days, and the success rate was 73%; 20% of patients showed incomplete expansion and underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. For primary spontaneous pneumothorax patients, the success rate of the Thoracic Egg was 76.6% and for iatrogenic pneumothorax, it was 100%. There were 2 complications using the Thoracic Egg.


CONCLUSIONS
Outpatient treatment of pneumothorax using the Thoracic Egg could be a good treatment option for primary spontaneous and iatrogenic pneumothorax.
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University School of Medicine.
Won Gi
WG
Woo
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University School of Medicine.
Seok
S
Joo
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University School of Medicine.
Geun Dong
GD
Lee
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University School of Medicine.
Seok Jin
SJ
Haam
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University School of Medicine.
Sungsoo
S
Lee
Chest tubes; Outpatients; Pneumothorax