Video-tube thoracostomy in trauma resuscitation: A pilot study

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Procedures
• Trauma Management

Background:

• Incorrect tube thoracostomy (TT) positioning leads to significant complications, reported up to 30% of cases.
• Conventional TT lacks direct intrapleural visualization, increasing the risk of malposition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of flexible videoscope-guided chest tube placement (Video-Tube Thoracostomy, V-TT).
• To evaluate V-TT as a direct intrapleural visualization and placement technique.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, single-center, phase 1 pilot study with a parallel control group.
• Adult thoracic trauma patients requiring emergency TT were included.
• V-TT intervention group compared against conventional TT control group.

Main Results:

• The V-TT group (12 patients) experienced only 2 complications (1 positional, 1 insertional).
• The conventional TT group (25 patients) had 8 positional complications (32%).
• V-TT demonstrated a significantly lower rate of positional complications.

Conclusions:

• Video-Tube Thoracostomy (V-TT) is a feasible and potentially safer alternative to conventional thoracostomy.
• V-TT merits further investigation for chest tube placement in thoracic trauma.