: In a retrospective study, clamping trials did not reduce the rate of recurrent pneumothorax.
Context
Little guidance is available on the best strategy for determining when to remove a chest tube after spontaneous pneumothorax. Removing the tube too early can lead to recurrent pneumothorax, requiring tube replacement and a longer inpatient stay. Some providers use clamping trials to determine readiness for tube removal (), while others visually assess the drainage system for bubbling, a sign of air leak.
To evaluate recurrence rates with these two methods, investigators retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 791 adults who had a chest tube placed for spontaneous pneumothorax at 27 hospitals across the U.K. One third of the patients underwent a clamping trial before tube removal.
