Short‐duration post CT‐guided thoracic biopsy monitoring‐ clinical experience with 440 patients

PURPOSE: With several studies recording a higher percentage of complications in the first hour of post‐biopsy, this study sought to evaluate the safety in the reduction in post‐biopsy patient monitoring time after computed tomography (CT)‐guided thoracic biopsies, providing a basis for further research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study involving patients who were referred to our centre for CT‐guided thoracic biopsies from January 2010 to December 2017. Patients who presented with no complications immediately after the post‐biopsy CT scan were given 30 min of post‐biopsy care after which they were discharged, and given a hot line to call in case of any complication. There was also a follow‐up call by a nurse after 24 h to inquire about any complication and general condition of the patients. RESULTS: A total of 440 core needle thoracic biopsies were performed within the period of the study. The most common thoracic region indicated for biopsy was mediastinal (n = 240, 54.5%), followed by lung (n = 185, 42.0%). Complications were recorded at a rate of 6.4% (n = 28), with 4.1% (n = 18) been pneumothorax and pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis accounting for 2.3% (n = 10). No relevant complications were recorded in patients who presented with no complications immediately after the post‐biopsy CT scan (n = 374, 85%). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this initial study have shown that thirty minutes of post‐biopsy care could be sufficient for patients present with no complications immediately after a post‐procedural scan in CT‐guided thoracic biopsies; providing a basis for similar algorithms to be explored in a randomised control study to substantiate the observation.