Portable chest drainage systems and outpatient chest tube management

Ambulatory treatment of pleural problems such as pneumothorax and malignant pleural effusions has been extensively described and is commonly used. On the contrary, outpatient management of chest tubes after lung resection is less frequently performed. Because prolonged air leak after lobectomy is a common problem, early discharge of these patients under pleural drainage can avoid many hospital days without compromising the quality of care. In this article, general rules for outpatient chest tube management are described and available portable devices are reviewed.