Efficacy Assessment of the Drainage with Permanent Airflow Measurement in the Treatment of Pneumothorax with Air Leak

Jablonski, Slawomir
Brocki, Marian
Wawrzycki, Marcin
Smigielski, Jacek Arkadiusz
Kozakiewicz, Marcin

¹ Department of Thoracic Surgery, General and Oncological Surgery, Medical University of Łódź, 113 Żeromskiego Street, 90-549 Łódź, Poland
² Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Medical University of Łódź, 113 Żeromskiego Street, 90-549 Łódź, Poland

Address for correspondence Sławomir Jabłoński, MD, PhD, Department of Thoracic Surgery, General and Oncological Surgery, Medical University of Łódź, 113 Żeromskiego Street, 90549 Łódź, Poland, (e-mail: [email protected]).

received August, 27, 2013

accepted after revision September, 27, 2013

published online December 2, 2013

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Disclaimer

The German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (DGTHG) and The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon neither endorse nor discourage the use of the new technology described in this publication.

The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon 62(6):p 509-515, September 2014. | DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1359714

Abstract

Aim

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of the treatment of patients with spontaneous pneumothorax with air leak (AL) using two different chest drainage systems.

Methods

Patients were randomized into two groups: group A included 30 patients (23 males and 7 females, mean age 41.1 ± 16.29 y, range 17-71 y) in which digital drainage system was used, group B with 30 patients (22 males and 8 females, mean age 40.3 ± 15.74 y, range 18-72 y) in which traditional suction drainage system was applied.

The following variables were evaluated: intensity of AL, duration of the chest tube drainage, delay in surgery, length of stay, and the overall hospitalization costs.

Results

In group A the mean drainage duration was 47.63 hours, the hospitalization time was about 5.10 days, and the cost of hospitalization was €1,495. In group B the mean drainage duration was 84.93 hours, the hospitalization time was 6.97 days, and the hospitalization cost was €1,925.

Conclusion

The digital drainage system applied in the treatment of AL in patients with pneumothoraces reduced the duration of the drainage, the length of hospital stay, and overall hospitalization costs.