Chest Tubes as a Platform for Physiologic Monitoring

Drainology: Leveraging research in chest-drain management to enhance recovery after cardiothoracic surgery

“…There are 2 studies showing that pericardial and pleural effusions might be greater when the tubes are removed in an expedited fashion. E19 , E20 It is likely that it is more complex than just how long tubes remain in place. Future studies should consider the entire strategy of reducing retained blood as early as possible to prevent any residual blood around the heart and lungs that can be a nidus for inflammatory effusion production in the ensuing days.…”