TY - JOUR T1 - Management and short-term outcomes of non-traumatic pneumothorax (PT) in a department of respiratory medicine JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 42 IS - Suppl 57 SP - P3101 AU - Ulrik Iepsen AU - Thomas Ringbaek Y1 - 2013/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P3101.abstract N2 - Background: The knowledge of management strategies for non-traumatic PT is sparse.Aim: To compare the efficacy and complications of surgical (large-bore) chest tube drainage with smaller chest tubes inseted by Seldinger technique in patients with non-traumatic PT.Methods: A retrospective study of all patients admitted to Hvidovre Hospital, DK, with non-traumatic PT between 01.04.2009 and 31.12.2011. During regular hours (08.00-15.00) on weekdays non-traumatic PTs are managed by chest physicians and by orthopedic surgeons the remaining hours. Chest physicians used Seldinger technique. In general, a True-Close thoracic vent with Heimlich valve, size Fr11-13, while surgeons used chest tubes, size Fr20-28, inserted though a small thoracotomy. Data were analyzed for overall trends and differences in demographic data and short-term outcomes such as complications, duration of drainage time and duration of hospital stay.Results: In total, 104 episodes of PT were analyzed: 62 PSP, 30 SSP, and 12 iatrogenic PT. An overall incidence of PT was 10/100,000. There were no differences between patients, type of PT, or size of PT comparing the 62 episodes managed by surgeons with the 42 episodes managed by chest physicians.Patients with large-bore drains managed by surgeons had more complications (33.3% vs 14.5%; P=0.026), lower success rate at primary tube placement (56.5% vs 85.7%; P=0.002) and longer hospital stays (11.8 vs 6.9 days; P=0.004) than patients treated with smaller chest tubes.Conclusion: Our results support the BTS guidelines in recommending minimal invasive approach in management of non-traumatic PT. ER -