![]() The investigators have designed and will conduct the study and keep the data. Upon receiving consent prior to chest tube placement, patients will be randomized to using either the digital (Thopaz+) or analog (Pleur-evac) drainage system. Pediatric patients who meet inclusion criteria will be identified by pediatric surgery residents, fellows or staff. This study will be a single site prospective randomized controlled study of all pediatric patients (age ≤17 years old) requiring a chest tube placed for spontaneous pneumothorax or pulmonary resection by a pediatric surgery fellow, faculty or general surgery faculty at The Children's Hospital at OU Health. Condition or diseaseĭevice: Madela THOPAZ Digital Device Device: Atrium Analog Device This will be the first prospective randomized study exploring the potential benefits of using a digital chest tube drainage system in pediatric patients. ![]() The investigators hypothesize that pediatric patients who are placed on the Thopaz+ digital drainage system will have decreased duration of chest tube drainage, fewer chest x-rays and shorter duration of air leaks compared to patients using a traditional analog chest tube drainage system. Thus, a gap in the literature exists for a prospective trial determining if there is benefit to using a digital vs analog drainage system in pediatric patients requiring a chest tube. In addition, the only two pediatric studies which looked at the potential benefits of a digital drainage system only looked at its use in patients who underwent pulmonary resection. To date, there have been no prospective randomized controlled trials comparing digital versus analog chest tube drainage systems in pediatric patients. In the adult literature, reported benefits include shorter chest tube drainage times, decreased length of stay, cost savings and fewer chest x-rays. The adult literature describes multiple benefits of using a digital drainage system, only two studies to date have looked at pediatric patients. The digital system allows for stored data, objective measurement of air leaks as well as maintaining a constant pleural pressure. ![]() In 2007 the Thopaz digital drainage system was launched as one of the first chest tube drainage systems to utilize a digital rather than analog device.
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