Reintervention Rate After Pigtail Catheter Insertion Compared to Surgical Chest Tubes

Area of Science:

• Thoracic surgery
• Interventional pulmonology
• Medical device comparison

Background:

• Prior studies indicated comparable efficacy between chest tubes (CT) and pigtail catheters (PC).
• Pleural space processes necessitate effective drainage methods.
• Reintervention rates were not previously well-established for these devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare reintervention rates between CT and PC in patients with pneumothorax, hemothorax, and pleural effusion.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of different pleural drainage devices.
• To inform clinical decisions regarding chest drainage procedures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 1032 patients (September 2015 - December 2020).
• Patients treated with either chest tubes (CT, ≥20Fr) or pigtail catheters (PC, ≤14Fr) for pleural space conditions.
• Primary outcome: 30-day reintervention rate; secondary outcomes included hospital length of stay.

Main Results:

• Pigtail catheter (PC) patients were older with more comorbidities.
• PC group showed significantly higher rates of tube replacement/repositioning (2.35x) and overall reintervention (1.77x) compared to CT.
• PC use was associated with a longer hospital stay (>14 days) for patients (2.09x).

Conclusions:

• Pigtail catheters (PC) demonstrate a significantly higher reintervention rate than chest tubes (CT) for pleural drainage.
• CT may provide more effective pleural space drainage than PC.
• Treatment decisions should be individualized based on patient factors and condition.