Simplified stepwise management of primary spontaneous pneumot...

In primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) requiring intervention, removal of air from the pleural space can be achieved by manual needle aspiration or by pleural drainage after insertion of a chest tube. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a serial-steps approach with a single system (small-calibre catheter/Heimlich valve) in a homogeneous population of patients with a first episode of PSP.

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The use of small-calibre, indwelling catheters attached to a one-way valve or to a water-seal device, instead of the intravenous or thoracocentesis needle catheter, allows air evacuation to continue if the initial MA attempts fail. Such small catheters have proved successful in mixed pneumothorax (PTX) populations, most of them being iatrogenic

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