Injury
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy of slow negative pleural suction in thoracic trauma patients undergoing tube thoracostomy-A randomised clinical trial.
Thoracic injuries are prevalent in polytrauma patients, with road traffic accidents being a major cause. In India alone, over 400,000 people were injured in such accidents in 2022. Rib fractures, haemothorax, and pneumothorax are common chest injuries, often managed with tube thoracostomy. While standard procedures for chest tube placement are established, consensus on post-insertion management, particularly regarding negative pleural suction, is lacking. Research on this topic mostly pertains to planned thoracotomies rather than trauma cases. This study seeks to compare outcomes of slow negative suction versus conventional drainage in blunt or penetrating thoracic trauma. ⋯ Application of slow continuous negative pleural suction to chest tubes in patients of thoracic trauma can decrease the chest tube duration and the hospital stay. This study ought to be followed up with multicentric randomised clinical trials with larger sample sizes to better characterise the effects of slow continuous negative pleural suction.