Effects of Local Protocols on Duration of Chest Tube Therapy Following Thoracic Surgery

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The effect of local chest-tube management protocols on the duration of chest-tube therapy following thoracic surgery was analyzed in four German specialized Thoracic Surgery Units. The primary study objective was the duration of chest tube therapy in postoperative patients.

Detailed Description
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The management of chest tubes is probably one of the most critical aspects in patient care in thoracic surgery and defines the required length of postoperative hospital stay in the majority of patients. So far, no generally accepted recommendations exist for postoperative chest tube management to streamline the postoperative stay. Instead, decision making in most thoracic surgery units is based on team preferences and individual training rather than scientific data. Therefore, digital pleural drainage systems represent a useful tool to standardize existing intradepartmental protocols for chest tube management. However, for the development of generally accepted protocol-recommendations, the diverging interdepartmental treatment protocols have to be analyzed and compared for superiority. In this IIT, the effect of different chest tube management protocols on chest tube duration is analyzed in four German Thoracic Surgery units.

Official Title
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Prospective, Non Randomized Investigator Initiated Multi-centre Trial on the Effects of Local Treatment Protocols on the Duration of Chest Tube Therapy Following Thoracic Surgery in Germany

Conditions
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Pulmonary Air Leak

Intervention / Treatment
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* Procedure: Chest tube removal


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: age 18-85 following pulmonary wedge resection, anatomic segmentectomy, or lobectomy Exclusion Criteria: surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax (primary and secondary) surgery for pleural empyema present medication with corticoids, immunosuppressive drugs or platelet aggregation inhibitors other than Aspirin history of chemotherapy, radiotherapy of the chest, or previous ipsilateral thoracic surgery

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 85 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Study population<br>Patients undergoing elective pulmonary wedge resection, anatomic segmentectomy, or lobectomy. | Procedure: Chest tube removal<br>* Chest tube removal on the basis of local recommendations for postoperative chest tube management<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| chest tube therapy duration | number of days following thoracic surgery until chest tube was removed | participants are followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 5 days | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| presence of pulmonary air leak | number of days the Medela Thopaz device detected a pulmonary air leak following thoracic surgery | participants are followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 4 days | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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chest tube drainage, pulmonary air leak, lung resection