Pleural Suction and Evacuation in the Moment of Thoracostomy Tube Procedure in Traumatic Hemothorax Patients: A Randomized Study

Traumatic hemothorax is a common emergency and is commonly the result of trauma, both blunt and penetrating. Although closed drainage thoracostomy is commonly adequate for the initial management of a hemothorax in most cases, failure of the closed thoracostomy and formation of clotted hemothorax can occur in up to 5 to 30% of cases. This complication requires surgical treatment and can generate an empyema, which is a serious infection.

Therefore, the investigators want to impact through a simple and low-cost procedure such as traumatic hemothorax aspiration in the adult population, prior to insertion and fixation of the thoracostomy tube under sedation, to evacuate all the hemothorax present, thus reducing the formation of clots in these patients, and the probability of clotted hemothorax.

Methods: Initially, all patients with penetrating or closed chest trauma that came to the emergency department, are evaluated clinically and with a chest x-ray. With this information, the investigators diagnose patients with traumatic hemothorax or hemopneumothorax, and if is a candidate for drainage with closed thoracostomy. The patient will receive a dose of prophylactic antibiotic, which will be 2 gr of first-generation Cephalosporin, or 600mg iv of Clindamycin for patients allergic to penicillin. At the time of performing the closed thoracostomy procedure, and after approval and signing of the informed consent for the study by the patient or his family member in charge, a consecutive number is assigned with prior randomization of each of the groups in EPIDAT 4.0. In case of being an intervention group, a superficial sedation of the patient will be carried out in the emergency department. Moderate sedation or conscious sedation is performed. The pleura is opened and a sterile adult Yankauer plastic suction cannula (Plus-vital, CE0197, Greetmed RPC) is inserted with closed suction. The cannula will be directed towards the posterior costodiaphragmatic recess at which point hemothorax aspiration will begin at -80 cubic centimeters of water (ccH2O) until complete evacuation is achieved. At the end of the suction, the hemithorax cannula is removed and a silicone 32 French (Fr) thoracostomy tube is inserted, which is subsequently fixed with a non-absorbable 0-gauge suture. The chest tube is connected to a 3-bottle thoracic drainage system ( Oasis Dry suction Water seal 3600 single collection) without continuous pleural suction. After the procedure, a control chest X-ray will be performed within 3 hours to verify the position of the tube, hemothorax drainage, and lung expansion. The clinical and radiological follow up, will be made by surgeon criteria, until the patient develop a clotted hemothorax or is discharged. The investigators will follow this patients by phone after a month. Description and treatment of any adverse events will be made.

Analysis of each of the variables will be carried out in the two groups. Chi2 test to establish statistical significance of these differences, with a bivariate analysis.

Registry of data will be made by the investigators, the source will be the clinical records, and the month phone call, will be made by secondary investigators.