Prehospital and disaster medicine
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Jun 2015
Meta AnalysisSufficient catheter length for pneumothorax needle decompression: a meta-analysis.
Needle thoracostomy is the prehospital treatment for tension pneumothorax. Sufficient catheter length is necessary for procedural success. The authors of this study determined minimum catheter length needed for procedural success on a percentile basis. ⋯ A catheter of at least 6.44 cm in length would be required to ensure that 95% of the patients in this pooled sample would have penetration of the pleural space at the site of needle decompression, and therefore, a successful procedure. These findings represent Level III evidence.