Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fluid drainage when removing chest tubes after dog surgery
By Racette, Molly A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2022·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Retrospective evaluation of fluid production at the time of thoracostomy tube removal following elective and emergency surgery in dogs (2010-2017): 185 cases.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 185 dogs that had thoracostomy tubes (tubes placed in the chest to drain fluid) removed after surgery showed varying levels of fluid production at the time of removal. Dogs with pre-existing fluid in the chest produced more fluid than those without, and certain surgical techniques also influenced fluid levels. After the tubes were taken out, about 7% of the dogs developed pleural effusion (fluid buildup in the chest) within two weeks, especially those with specific conditions like lung lobe torsion or idiopathic chylothorax. Overall, only a small number of dogs needed further treatment after the tube removal.
People also search for: dog thoracostomy tube removal · pleural effusion in dogs · lung lobe torsion treatment in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report the rate of fluid production at the time of removal of thoracostomy tubes placed intraoperatively and to determine the association of this rate with specific patient factors, surgical factors, or clinical diagnosis. The secondary objective was to determine whether identification of pleural effusion within 2 weeks of thoracostomy tube removal was associated with the same variables. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. ANIMALS: One hundred eighty-five client-owned dogs with thoracostomy tubes placed intraoperatively between January 2010 and March 2017. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Thoracostomy tubes were removed at a median fluid production of 0.09 mL/kg/h (range, 0-7.0 m L/kg/h). Median fluid production at the time of thoracostomy tube removal was significantly higher in dogs with preoperative pleural effusion compared to dogs without preoperative pleural effusion (0.21 vs 0.05 mL/kg/h; P = 0.0001) and in dogs that had a median sternotomy compared to dogs that had a lateral thoracotomy (0.14 vs 0.09 mL/kg/h; P = 0.04). Of the 169 dogs available for follow-up, 12 (7.1%) had pleural effusion within 2 weeks of removal of the thoracostomy tube. Detection of pleural effusion during the follow-up period was significantly associated with the presence of preoperative pleural effusion (P = 0.0019) and the diagnosis (P = 0.01). A greater proportion of dogs with a lung lobe torsion (4/9, 44.4%) and idiopathic chylothorax (2/7, 28.5%) had pleural effusion within 2 weeks compared to other diagnoses. Reintervention was performed in 4.7% of dogs. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracostomy tubes were removed at pleural fluid production rates that frequently exceeded current veterinary guidelines. However, the fluid production rate at the time of thoracostomy tube removal was not associated with the detection of pleural effusion within 2 weeks of thoracostomy tube removal, and the overall need for reintervention following thoracostomy tube removal was low (4.7%).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34499801/