None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Bachground: In this prospective study we aimed to recognize a pleural space effect, distinguishing it from an active air leak, by means of a digital chest drain system providing a continuous air flow and pleural pressures check. Methods: Since March 2010 to October 2011, we employed 144 digital drains for 125 patients undergone 138 thoracic surgical procedures. Results: We observed: 18 active air leaks (12.5%), among which 4 prolonged (2.8%), all characterized by high differential pleural pressure, especially due to an increased mean expiratory pressure (>1 cmH2O) (p <0.0001), and significantly related to upper lobe resections (p: 0.00017), a chest tube removal time later than the fifth post-operative day (p <0.0001), an increasing pneumothorax after a one day provocative clamping (p <0.0001); three late air leaks (2.1%), all long lasting (p <0.0001), predicted by pressure curves divergency before the air flow appearance. Moreover, we reported 25 pleural space effects (17.4%), equally characterized by a high differential pleural pressure, but mainly due to a lower mean inspiratory pressure (<20 cmH2O) (p <0.0001), and especially related to surgical pleurodesis procedures (p: 0.0003) and wide lung resections (p: 0.0002); none of these patients had an increasing pneumothorax after provocative clamping. Conclusions: A digital chest drain system ensuring a continuous air flow and pleural pressures measurement could clearly identify a pleural space effect, avoiding the frequent misinterpretation with an active air leak and allowing to safely remove a chest tube at the right time.
Interventions
In this observational study we aimed to recognize a pleural space effect, distinguishing it from an active air leak, by means of a digital chest drain system providing a continuous air flow and pleural pressures check. Since March 2010 to October 2011, we employed 144 digital drains for 125 patients undergone 138 thoracic surgical procedures. We observed: 18 active air leaks (12.5%), among which 4 prolonged (2.8%), all characterized by high differential pleural pressure, especially due to an in
In this observational study we aimed to recognize a pleural space effect, distinguishing it from an active air leak, by means of a digital chest drain system providing a continuous air flow and pleural pressures check. Since March 2010 to October 2011, we employed 144 digital drains for 125 patients undergone 138 thoracic surgical procedures. We observed: 18 active air leaks (12.5%), among which 4 prolonged (2.8%), all characterized by high differential pleural pressure, especially due to an increased mean expiratory pressure (>1 cmH2O) (p <0.0001), and significantly related to upper lobe resections (p: 0.00017), a chest tube removal time later than the fifth post-operative day (p <0.0001), an increasing pneumothorax after a one day provocative clamping (p <0.0001); three late air leaks (2.1%), all long lasting (p <0.0001), predicted by pressure curves divergency before the air flow appearance. Moreover, we reported 25 pleural space effects (17.4%), equally characterized by a high differential pleural pressure, but mainly due to a lower mean inspiratory pressure (<20 cmH2O) (p <0.0001), and especially related to surgical pleurodesis procedures (p: 0.0003) and wide lung resections (p: 0.0002); none of these patients had an increasing pneumothorax after provocative clamping. A digital chest drain system ensuring a continuous air flow and pleural pressures measurement could clearly identify a pleural space effect, avoiding the frequent misinterpretation with an active air leak and allowing to safely remove a chest tube at the right time.
Sponsors
I.R.C.C.S. - C.R.O.B. Basilicata Regional Cancer Institute
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 88 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Patients submitted to thoracic surgery interventions
Exclusion criteria
Severe lung emphysema - re-do-surgery - no touch lung surgery
Outcome results
None listed