Could selected patients with a spontaneous pneumothorax avoid a chest drain? This 2020 appraisal examines a conservative-management trial, its missing follow-up data, non-inferiority margin and applicability to everyday practice, alongside the trial authors’ challenge to the reviewer’s cautious interpretation.
JC: Conservative management of pneumothoraces. Read More
Can some traumatic pneumothoraces and haemothoraces be managed without a chest drain? This 2018 appraisal examines a UK observational study, including patients receiving positive-pressure ventilation. It considers selection bias, the limits of a single-centre dataset and the importance of monitoring when conservative management is chosen.
JC: Conservative management of chest trauma. St Emlyn’s Read More
Chest drain insertion involves more than getting a tube into the chest. This 2016 teaching post discusses patient selection, analgesia, ultrasound, drain size and secure fixation, combining published evidence with the author’s practical experience and acknowledging important uncertainties.
Chest drains & aspiration: Do it better with St.Emlyn’s Read More
