Left ventricular perforation with catheter decompression: Case report and review of complications

Thoracostomy tube placement is one of the more common procedures performed in the Emergency Department, most commonly for treatment of pneumothorax or hemothorax but occasionally for drainage of empyema or pleural effusion. Thoracostomy may be a life-saving procedure with a wide range of complication rates reported, ranging from 19.4 –37%, most commonly extrathoracic placement. Most recent meta-analyses showed a relatively stable complication rate of 19% over the past three decades with the vast majority being benign in nature.
Source: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Source Type: research