ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE OF STUDY: To observe various indications and complications of tube Thoracostomy
DESIGN: Prospective, descriptive study
PLACE and DURATION OF STUDY: Public and private sector hospitals of Nawabshah and Hyderabad from 1[st] Jan 2005 to Dec 2008
METHODOLOGY: All patients of either sex above the age of 13 years having pathology related to chest cavity and underwent chest intubation were included in the study. Patients below the age of 13 years, having serious co morbid illness like Ischemic heart disease [ASA-3], severe chronic obstructive airway disease requiring ventilator support, and complicated chronic liver disease and patients who lost to follow-up were excluded. Data was collected for age, sex, indications of chest intubations, cause of the disease, procedural and post procedural complications and hospital stay. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS version 10 for continuous and frequency variables
RESULTS: Total 200 patients of different pathologies related to chest cavity underwent chest intubations. Mean age was 43.57 years SD+/- 12.68 with 60.5% male and 39.5% female. Indications were: pleural effusion 86[43%] patients, pneumothorax 36[18%] patients, empyema thoracis 33[16.5%] patients, hydropneumothorax 24[12%] patients and haemothorax 18[9%] patients
Etiology for intubations includes 118[59%] patients of complicated pulmonary tuberculosis, 27[13.5%] patients of blunt trauma chest and 21[10.5%] patients of post pneumonic empyema
Procedural complications were found in 24[12%] patients and postoperative complications in 25 [12.5%] patients. Mean hospital stay was 5.5 days
CONCLUSION: We found chest tube insertion as the first line of treatment for variety of life threatening chest diseases. It is safe and effective procedure associated with procedural [12%] and post procedural complications [12.5%] which are comparable to international literature