Treatment of postbiopsy pneumothorax with a self-contained pneumothorax treatment device.

Abstract

To evaluate the usefulness of a self-contained pneumothorax treatment device, in which a catheter and a one-way valve compose a single unit, in cases of postbiopsy pneumothorax. Twenty-one patients underwent placement of the device to drain a postbiopsy pneumothorax. Treatment was considered successful when no therapy other than the device was needed. Treatment was successful in 16 (76%) of the 21 patients. Causes of treatment failure were dislodgment of the device (n = 3), malfunction of the device (n = 1), and a persistent air leak that led to pneumothorax recurrence after removal of the device (n = 1). Eight patients (38%) experienced problems after insertion of the device: The device dislodged in seven patients and malfunctioned in one patient. These problems led to treatment failure in four patients (see above). In the remaining four, further treatment after device dislodgment was not required. Treatment with the self-contained pneumothorax treatment device shows promise. Modifications to the device may alleviate technical problems and insertion difficulties.