Analysis Of 200 Cases Of Tube Thoracostomies Performed By General Surgeons

OBJECTIVE OF STUDY: To observe various indications & complications of tube Thoracostomy.DESIGN: Prospective, descriptive study.PLACE & DURATION OF STUDY: Public and private sector hospitals of Nawabshah and Hyderabad from 1st 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & effective procedure associated with procedural (12%) & post procedural complications (12.5%) which are comparable to international literature.