Small-bore catheter is more than an alternative to the ordinary chest tube for pleural drainage

BACKGROUND: Pleural collection is a common medical problem. For decades, the chest tube of different designs was the commonly used toll for pleural drainage. Over the past few years, small-bore catheter (SBC) has gained more popularity. We present our experience of using SBCs for the drainage of pleural collection of different etiologies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 398 small-bore pleural catheters were inserted in 369 patients with pleural collection during the period from January 2013 to October 2019. Data were collected regarding the efficacy of drainage, experienced chest pain, duration of drainage, and the occurrence of complications. RESULTS: Malignant associated (59.24%) and parapneumonic (19.57%) effusions constituted the most common causes. The drainage was successful in 382/398 (95.98%) occasions; six cases had incomplete fluid evacuation that required decortications; five cases (1.26%) had nonexpendable lung. Catheter reinsertion was needed due to dislodgment in 2 (0.50%) cases and obstruction in 3 (0.75%) cases. Sixty-two cases (15.58%) experienced chest pain. No patient developed empyema or cellulites at the site of catheter insertion. The duration of drainage ranged from 2 to 7 days, with an average of 3.5 days. CONCLUSIONS: SBC is equivalent to conventional chest tube for the drainage of pleural collection. Moreover, it has the advantages of less associated pain, versatility of insertion site, and relative safety of the technique in some risky and difficult situations.