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Transitioning from stiff chest tubes to soft pleural catheters: prospective assessment of a practice change

Kathryn Martin1, Sherif Emil, Samara Zavalkoff

  • 1Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

European Journal of Pediatric Surgery : Official Journal of Austrian Association of Pediatric Surgery ... [Et Al] = Zeitschrift Fur Kinderchirurgie
|February 28, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Soft pleural catheters offer a comfortable alternative to traditional chest tubes for pediatric pleural drainage. While premature dislodgment occurred, the procedure demonstrated a high success rate in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Thoracic Medicine
  • Medical Device Innovation

Background:

  • Tube thoracostomies in children often cause significant discomfort.
  • A protocol was developed to use soft pleural catheters instead of stiff chest tubes for pediatric pleural drainage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of soft pleural catheters in pediatric patients.
  • To assess the outcomes of a new protocol for pleural drainage in children.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective data collection using audit sheets for catheter insertion, removal, and complications.
  • Retrospective review of patient charts after 8 months of protocol implementation.
  • Analysis of data from 23 pediatric patients with 33 pleural catheter insertions.

Main Results:

  • Indications included pneumothorax, simple effusion, chylothorax, and empyema.
  • The overall success rate for pleural drainage was 91%.
  • Complications included premature dislodgment (33%) and blockage (15%).

Conclusions:

  • Soft pleural catheters are a viable alternative to traditional chest tubes in pediatric patients.
  • Premature dislodgment was the most frequent complication.
  • Prospective audits are crucial for evaluating new medical protocols.
Abstract

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