Clinical Effect of Adding Negative Pleural Suction to Underwater Seal Chest Drains in Traumatic Chest Patients

Background: The target of this research work is to evaluate the effect of intercostal tubes with negative pleural suction against underwater seal in patients with various forms of chest trauma who received chest tube to manage the chest trauma complications including clotted hemothorax and persistent air leak. Methods: Two groups were randomly assigned to patients who had tube thoracostomy due to traumatic pneumothorax, hemothorax, or hemopneumothorax: A negative suction was attached to the chest tube in group A, while no suction was attached in group B. Results: Sixty patients were listed in the study, 30 in the group without negative suction and 30 in the other group with negative suction. The variances, which enrolled in this study between both groups, were in hospital stay (p=0.391), air leak time (p=0.49) and other complications (p=0.61). However, group A patients with negative suction had a higher chance to have more air leak time than group B patients. Conclusion: Negative pleural suction decreased the incidence of surgical emphysema, but it did not show any advantages over the chest drainage system without suction in patients with simple traumatic pneumothorax, hemothorax, or hemopneumothorax.