Efficacy and safety of 10F percutaneous catheter versus 28F chest tube in pneumothorax: A retrospective comparative study

Abstract

Aim: Percutaneous catheter drainage has emerged as a less invasive alternative to traditional large-bore chest tubes in the management of pneumothorax. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of 10F percutaneous catheters with 28F chest tubes. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 78 patients treated for pneumothorax between May 2023 and May 2025. Patients were divided into two groups: those treated with a 10F percutaneous catheter (n=40) and those treated with a 28F chest tube (n=38). Demographics, pneumothorax etiology, length of hospital stay, drainage duration, prolonged air leak, and need for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) were evaluated. Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U, Fisher's exact, and Chi-square tests with Monte Carlo simulation where appropriate. Results: There were no significant differences between groups in age (p=0.1596), sex (p=0.1406), pneumothorax side (p=0.4383), or COPD prevalence (p=0.9382). Etiological distribution showed a statistically significant difference (p=0.0051); notably, 10F catheters were not utilized in cases of penetrating trauma. Mean hospital stay and drainage duration were not significantly different between groups (p=0.0656 and p=0.2709, respectively). The rates of prolonged air leak (p=0.3493) and VATS requirement (p=0.9495) were also similar. Discussion: The 10F percutaneous catheter demonstrated comparable efficacy and safety to the conventional 28F chest tube in the management of pneumothorax. Despite being less invasive, it yielded similar clinical outcomes, supporting its use as a safe and effective alternative for treating spontaneous pneumothorax and blunt trauma cases.