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Published on: May 22, 2020
Chest drainage systems in use
Charalambos Zisis1, Katerina Tsirgogianni1, George Lazaridis1
11 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Evangelismos" Hospital, Athens, Greece ; 2 Pulmonary-Oncology, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 3 Department of Medical Oncology, Aristotle University School of Medicine, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 4 Oncology Department, "Interbalkan" European Medical Center, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 5 Oncology Department, "BioMedicine" Private Clinic, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 6 Surgery Department, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 7 Thoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 8 2nd Pulmonary Clinic of "Sotiria" Hospital, Athens, Greece ; 9 Pulmonary Laboratory, Alexandra Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece ; 10 Ear, Nose and Throat, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Panorama, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 11 Nuclear Medicine Department, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
Chest tubes, also known as Bülau drains, are inserted into the chest to remove air or fluid. This review focuses on the various chest drain systems currently in use for medical conditions.
Area of Science:
- Thoracic medicine
- Medical devices
- Interventional radiology
Background:
- Chest tubes are essential for managing intrathoracic conditions.
- They drain air (pneumothorax) or fluid (pleural effusion, empyema, hemothorax, chylothorax).
- Also referred to as Bülau drains or intercostal catheters.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current chest drain systems.
- To provide an overview of devices used for thoracic drainage.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of chest drain systems.
- Focus on currently utilized devices.
Main Results:
- Chest tubes are flexible plastic tubes inserted into the pleural space or mediastinum.
- Catheter size is selected based on clinical indication.
- Various drain systems are available for different therapeutic needs.
Conclusions:
- Chest tube insertion is a common procedure performed by various medical specialists.
- Understanding available chest drain systems is crucial for effective patient management.
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