Steering the Wheel Towards the Standard of Care: Proposal of a Step-by-step Ultrasound-guided Emergency Chest Tube Drainage and Literature Review

Chest tube drainage is a common procedure performed by physicians in the emergency setting. Complications may arise in up to 25% of the cases. These vary from drain misplacement to lethal iatrogenic injuries. Ultrasound provides adequate visualization and correct identification of the insertion site, allows the exclusion of a vulnerable intercostal artery, and enables timely diagnosis of drain malpositioning. Although feasible, ultrasound-guided techniques are underused and seldom applied during chest drainage.
Source: International Journal of Surgery - Category: Surgery Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research