• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the length of the catheter used in a needle thoracostomy for emergency decompression of a tension pneumothorax by measuring the chest wall thickness (CWT) in patients with chest trauma Methods: A retrospective review of 201 patients with chest trauma who had been transported the emergency department in a tertiary university hospital in a metropolitan area between 1 January and 31 February 2007 was performed. The average CWT at the second intercostal space (ICS) in the midclavicular line (MCL) was measured by using a chest computed tomography scan. Results: As the left and the right mean CWTs were $3.4{\pm}1.0cm$ and $3.4{\pm}1.0cm$, respectively, there was no significant statistical difference between them. The mean CWT of female patients was significantly higher than that of male patients (p=0.001). The mean CWT of patients under the age of 65 years was significantly thicker than that of the patients over the age of 65 years (p<0.001). Of the studied patients, 12 (6.0%) a CWT > 5 cm. Conclusion: A 5 cm-length catheter in a needle thoracostomy may be insufficient for emergency decompression of a tension pneumothorax, so a catheter longer than 5 cm in length is needed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.983-986
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• 2004

Background: The indications of closed thoracostomy drainage in management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax is well known, but there is no special specification for the size to be inserted. Recently, various minimally invasive operational techniques have been introduced and researched. According to the trend, we tried to ascertain the efficacy of 12 Fr. chest tubes instead of the existing 24 Fr. chest tubes. Material and Method: Patients who were younger than 30 years old and diagnosed as primary spontaneous pneumothorax and treated with closed thoracostomy drainage were enrolled in this study. We retrospectively compared group A who were drained with 24 Fr. chest tubes from January to May 2003 with group B with 12 Fr. chest tubes from November 2003 to April 2004 on procedure time for closed thoracostomy drainage, duration of chest tube drain, duration of hospital stay, complication, and recurrence. Result: The male to female ratio was 16 : 3 in group A and 18 : 2 in group B. The mean age of patients of group A was 21.7$\pm$4.0 and group B was 20.0$\pm$3.7. The mean procedure time for closed thoracostomy drainage in group A (21.6$\pm$2.9 minutes) was significantly longer than group B (10.8$\pm$1.9 minutes)(p < 0.05). The mean duration of chest tube drain was 3.8$\pm$ 1.7 days in group A and 4.3$\pm$2.2 in group B, and the mean duration of hospital stay was 5.6$\pm$1.9 days in group A and 5.2$\pm$1.5 days in group B. There was no complication in both groups and 6 cases in group A (35%) and 5 cases in group B (25%) were operated because of recurrence and persistent air leakage. In conclusion, there was no statistical difference except for the procedure time for closed thoracostomy drainage between two groups. Conclusion: We concluded that there were no significant differences in efficacy between 12 Fr. chest tube and 24 Fr. chest tube in closed thoracostomy drainage for primary spontaneous pneumothorax and we found advantages of 12 Fr. chest tube in shortening procedure time because of easy and simple techniques.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.955-961
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• 1992

In this study, 237 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax experienced at the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kosin Medical College during from January 1986 to December 1990 were analysed retrospectively. 1. The ratio of male to female was 4.6: 1, predominent in male. The incidence of age group was highest as 36% between 21 and 40 years old. 2. The associated diseases of pneumothorax were 27 cases, in which pyothorax were 8 cases, and hydrothorax were 19 cases. 3. The site of pneumothorax was as follows: right side was 53%, left side was 45%, and both side was 2%, so right side was slight high. 4. The empolyed managements were as follows: bed rest with oxygen inhalation in 13 cases, closed thoracostomy in 155 cases, open thoracotomy in 69 cases. 5. The operative procedures of thoracotomy were as follows; simple pleurodesis in 2 cases, blebectomy & bullectomy in 38 cases, parietal pleurecttnny in 4 cases, segmentectomy in 12 cases, lobectomy in 9 cases. 6. The indication of open thoracotomy were as follows, recurrent history in 35 cases, contralateral pneumothorax history in 2 cases, continuous air leakage in 24 cases, bilateral pneumothorax in 2 cases, and visible blebs & bullaes on the chest X-ray in 6 cases. 7. The hospital duration after management was as follow, open thoracotomy in 13.2 days, closed thoracostomy in 22.4 days. The recurrent pneumothorax after closed thoracostomy was 25 cases, about 15%.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.25-28
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• 2020

The prevalence of pulmonary pargonimiasis in Korea has been steadily decreasing due to develop of the public health, and there have been few clinical cases of paragonimiasis infections, especially in pneumothorax. A 22-year-old man referred to emergency department for dyspnea and chest pain. The right lung was totally collapsed on a chest X-ray. We emergently performed a closed thoracostomy with a 28-Fr chest tube. However, the air leak from the chest tube persisted for three days after the closed thoracostomy. A chest computed tomography showed multiple subpleural consolidative nodular lesions and mixed ground-glass attenuation nodules. We potentially suspected a secondary pneumothorax resulting from pulmonary paragonimiasis infection because the patient was a Chinese man who was working at a Korean restaurant. We decided to perform a medical treatment instead of pulmonary wedge resections. The air leak was discontinued three days after the prescription of praziquantel. The patient was discharged nine days after the admission. We suggest that anti-parasitic drugs are very effective in the secondary pneumothorax resulting from paragonimiasis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.1
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• pp.59-62
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• 2012

Tube thoracostomy is known to cause complications such as bleeding or infection, but the incidence of chylothorax secondary to tube thoracostomy is under-reported, and therefore, we report this case. A patient was diagnosed as systemic lupus erythematosus with pleural and pericardial involvement. During repeated therapeutic thoracentesis, which were performed because of poor response to steroids and cylophosphamide, hemothorax developed and we therefore inserted a chest tube. The pleural effusion changed from red to milky color in several hours and we diagnosed the pleural effusion as chylothorax. Total parenteral nutrition based on medium-chain triglycerides was supplied to this patient and chylothorax was improved after 4 days.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.37-47
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed at developing a novel tube thoracostomy technique using the sternum, a fixed anatomical structure, as an indicator to reduce the possibility of incorrect chest tube positioning and complications in patients with chest trauma. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the data of 184 patients with chest trauma who were aged ≥18 years, visited a single regional trauma center in Korea between April and June 2022, and underwent chest computed tomography (CT) with their arms down. The conventional gold standard, 5th intercostal space (ICS) method, was compared to the lower 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 of the sternum method by analyzing CT images. Results: When virtual tube thoracostomy routes were drawn at the mid-axillary line at the 5th ICS level, 150 patients (81.5%) on the right side and 179 patients (97.3%) on the left did not pass the diaphragm. However, at the lower 1/2 of the sternum level, 171 patients (92.9%, P<0.001) on the right and 182 patients (98.9%, P= 0.250) on the left did not pass the diaphragm. At the 5th ICS level, 129 patients (70.1%) on the right and 156 patients (84.8%) on the left were located in the safety zone and did not pass the diaphragm. Alternatively, at the lower 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 of the sternum level, 139 (75.5%, P=0.185), 49 (26.6%, P<0.001), and 10 (5.4%, P<0.001), respectively, on the right, and 146 (79.3%, P=0.041), 69 (37.5%, P<0.001), and 16 (8.7%, P<0.001) on the left were located in the safety zone and did not pass the diaphragm. Compared to the conventional 5th ICS method, the sternum 1/2 method had a safety zone prediction sensitivity of 90.0% to 90.7%, and 97.3% to 100% sensitivity for not passing the diaphragm. Conclusions: Using the sternum length as a tube thoracostomy indicator might be feasible.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.991-1000
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• 1997

Closed thoracostomy with UWSD* which is the most utilized procedure in chest surgery applies general thoracic disorders, trauma and after-thoracic surgery. The University hospital was involved on operating 2341 cases of closed thoracostomy with UWSD except chest tubing after-thoracic surgery for a full six years from January, 1991 to December, 1996. The rate of men and women out of the total 2341 cases was 3.5 : 1, the distribution by age showed that men were 36.6 $\pm21.0$ years old, women were $47.0\pm20.2$ years old and so that the total were 40.0 $\pm$ 20.5 years old. As for indication, spontaneous, secondary and traumatic pneumothorax were the most common, in addition to hemothorax hemopneumothorax, hydrothorax, hydropneumothorax, empyema, chylothorax. The most indwelling period of chest tubing is between eight and fourteen days for 974 cases and the average is 13.7 $\pm$ 6.3 days, The average drainage amount immediately after thoracostomy was 537 $\pm$ 88m1, and in 694 cases(46.0%), the drain amount was 201 ~ 500 ml. The rate of right and left tubing was 52.4 47.6, in 2071 cases(88.5%), the thoracostomy was the first chance and 2210 cases(94.4%) were treated with a single tube drainage. Almost all the patients complained of tube site pain, besides tube site infection, intercostal neuralgia, loss of tube function by the pleural adhesion, intrathoracic infection, incomplete reexpansion of defective lung, hemorrhage caused by the rupture of a blood vessel, subcutaneous emphysema, lung parenchymal rupture, diaphragmatic and intraabdominal trauma, reexpansionary pulmonary edema of one side lung and cellulitis were relapsed. 84.6% of all patients recovered with only clo ed thoracostomy and the rest of patient needed additional some necessary managements and so on to have successful results. There were two deaths(0.1%), caused by reexpansionary pulmonary edema, the cellulitis were complicated by thoracostomy with UWSD on an empyema patients to come to death(due to sepsis). t UWSD = under water seal drainage

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.555-559
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• 1991

Post-pneumonectomy empyema thoracis is an uncommon, but very serious problem. Early diagnosis & adequate drainage followed by thoracoplasty and or myoplasty are very important principles for the management of the empyema thoracis & will enable patient to recover from the toxic effects. During the period of January, 1985 to December, 1990, 13 patients with post-pneumonectomy empyema thoracis were treated in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine. There were 10 males % 3 females ranging from 31 years to 79 years of age. The occurrence ratio of left to right side was 8: 5. The underlying pathologic lesions of empyema thoracis were pulmonary tuberculosis[7], lung ca. [2] pneumothorax[2], lung abscess[1] pneumonia[1]. We treatment procedure for post-pneumonectomy empyema thoracis were open window thoracostomy in 10 cases, Clagett procedures in 2 cases, one thoracoplasty, and two cases of Clagett procedures followed by open window thoracostomy in one cases.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.511-515
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• 1984

In this study, 213 cases of the spontaneous pneumothorax experienced at the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital during from April, 1977, till Dec, 1983 were reviewed. 1.Sex ratio of the studied patients was 7.19;1 showing high incidence male patients. The incidence according to the age group showed that 20.2%, 18.3% of the patients belong to the age group 6th, 5th decade respectively. 2.The etiologic factors were as follows, tuberculous origin in 50.2%, unknown origin in 28.2%, COPD in 3.3%, bullae in 8.5%. The site was right in 47.9% and left in 44.1%, bilateral in 8%. 3.The clinical symptoms were frequently dyspnea in 35%, chest pain in 27.5%. 4.The employed method of treatment were as follow, bed rest with oxygen inhalation in 1.9%, closed thoracostomy in 95.8%, open thoracotomy in 7.98%, which bullectomy was performed in 12 cases and pneumonectomy in 3 cases and lobectomy in 1 case and decortication with simple closure of bleb was performed in remaining 1 case. 5.The duration of closed thoracostomy was longer in tuberculosis, which average duration was 11.28 days. 6.The overall recurrent rate was 12.3%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.547-552
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• 1988

Rupture of the main bronchus followed by blunt chest trauma is comparatively very rare. Early recognition of bronchial rupture and emergency thoracostomy and management is essential for reducing of morbidity and mortality and late complications. This case was 11 years old female who was a primary school student. The patient was sustained a crushing injury to her right hemithorax by traffic accident and had been taken emergency closed thoracostomy at her second intercostal space, midclavicular line at emergency room. In the course of the next 2 hours, the girl`s condition remained critical with tension pneumothorax and abnormal arterial blood gas analysis. Induction of anesthesia started 3 hours after the accident. During the general anesthesia, cardiac arrest was occurred and cardiac resuscitation was performed. Right upper lobectomy and end-to-end anastomosis of ruptured right main bronchus was performed. Postoperative course was satisfactory.