J Curr Surg

Journal of Current Surgery, ISSN 1927-1298 print, 1927-1301 online, Open Access

Article copyright, the authors; Journal compilation copyright, J Curr Surg and Elmer Press Inc

Journal website http://www.currentsurgery.org

Original Article

Volume 6, Number 2, June 2016, pages 52-56

The Pigtail Catheter for Pleural Drainage: A Less Invasive Alternative to Tube Thoracostomy

**Table 1.** Baseline Demographics of the Study Cohort
Variable	Pigtail group (n = 57)	ICD group (n = 35)
Age (years), mean ± SD	54.7 ± 16	55.4 ± 15
Gender
Male	47 (78.9%)	26 (74.3%)
Female	10 (17.5%)	9 (25.7%)
Side of effusion
Right	29 (50.8%)	19 (54.3%)
Left	28 (49.1%)	16 (45.71%)
Diagnosis
TB	15 (26.31%)	8 (22.8%)
Pneumonia	31 (54.4%)	21 (60%)
Malignancy	9 (15.8%)	4 (11.4%)
Undiagnosed	2 (3.5%)	2 (5.7%)
Loculation
Present	44 (77.1%)	7
Absent	13 (21.2%)	28
Use of fibrinolysis
Yes	29	16
No	28	19

Table 1. Baseline Demographics of the Study Cohort

Variable

Pigtail group (n = 57)

ICD group (n = 35)

Age (years), mean ± SD

54.7 ± 16

55.4 ± 15

Gender

Male

47 (78.9%)

26 (74.3%)

Female

10 (17.5%)

9 (25.7%)

Side of effusion

Right

29 (50.8%)

19 (54.3%)

Left

28 (49.1%)

16 (45.71%)

Diagnosis

15 (26.31%)

8 (22.8%)

Pneumonia

31 (54.4%)

21 (60%)

Malignancy

9 (15.8%)

4 (11.4%)

Undiagnosed

2 (3.5%)

2 (5.7%)

Loculation

Present

44 (77.1%)

Absent

13 (21.2%)

Use of fibrinolysis

Yes

**Table 2.** Primary and Secondary End Points
Variable	Patients who underwent pigtail (n = 57)	Patients who underwent ICD (n = 35)	P value
Duration of hospital stay	13 ± 5.7	13.3 ± 8	0.982
Days taken for total clearance	9.7 ± 5.7	9 ± 5.6	0.955
Need of surgical intervention	3 (5.3%)	5 (14.3%)	0.134
Pain score > 5	17 (29.8%)	23 (65.7%)	< 0.001
Good mobility after procedure	39 (68.4%)	11 (31.4)	< 0.001

Table 2. Primary and Secondary End Points

Variable

Patients who underwent pigtail (n = 57)

Patients who underwent ICD (n = 35)

P value

Duration of hospital stay

13 ± 5.7

13.3 ± 8

0.982

Days taken for total clearance

9.7 ± 5.7

9 ± 5.6

0.955

Need of surgical intervention

3 (5.3%)

5 (14.3%)

0.134

Pain score > 5

17 (29.8%)

23 (65.7%)

< 0.001

Good mobility after procedure

39 (68.4%)

11 (31.4)

< 0.001

**Table 3.** Subgroup Analysis
Diagnosis	No.	Duration in days	Time for clearance	P value
TB
Pigtail	15	13.3 ± 5.49	9.46 ± 3.96	0.160
ICD	8	11.6 ± 3.37	9.12 ± 4.22	0.075
Pneumonia
Pigtail	31	12.2 ± 5.24	9 ± 7.25	0.774
ICD	21	10.47 ± 7.22	9 ± 4.22	0.486
Malignancy
Pigtail	9	16 ± 7.22	10 ± 5.7	0.151
ICD	4	17 ± 7.63	11.5 ± 7.22	0.298
Others
Pigtail	2	9.5 ± 0.7	6 ± 1.41	0.833
ICD	2	9.5 ± 0.77	6 ± 1.41	0.833

Table 3. Subgroup Analysis

Diagnosis

No.

Duration in days

Time for clearance

P value

Pigtail

13.3 ± 5.49

9.46 ± 3.96

0.160

ICD

11.6 ± 3.37

9.12 ± 4.22

0.075

Pneumonia

Pigtail

12.2 ± 5.24

9 ± 7.25

0.774

ICD

10.47 ± 7.22

9 ± 4.22

0.486

Malignancy

Pigtail

16 ± 7.22

10 ± 5.7

0.151

ICD

17 ± 7.63

11.5 ± 7.22

0.298

Others

Pigtail

9.5 ± 0.7

6 ± 1.41

0.833

ICD

9.5 ± 0.77

6 ± 1.41

0.833

**Table 4.** Comparison of Present Study With Other Published Studies
Study/year/place	No. of patients	Age (years), (mean ± SD)	No. of male (%)	Duration of hospital stay (days), mean ± SD	Time to drainage (days), mean ± SD	Success rate (%)
Adel Salah et al (2012), Egypt [17]	51	57.27 ± 13.45	29 (56.7%)	NA	5.8 ± 2.4	82.4%
Yi-Heng-Liu et al (2010), China [7]	276	59.21 ± 18.21	178 (64.5%)	29.23 ± 29.6	6.1 ± 2	72.9%
Sachin Jain et al (2006), India [18]	50	NA	NA	3 - 12	5 - 7	92%
Present study (2013), India	57	54.7 ± 16	47 (78.9%)	13 ± 5.7	9.7 ± 5.7	94.7%

Table 4. Comparison of Present Study With Other Published Studies

Study/year/place

No. of patients

Age (years), (mean ± SD)

No. of male (%)

Duration of hospital stay (days), mean ± SD

Time to drainage (days), mean ± SD

Success rate (%)

Adel Salah et al (2012), Egypt [17]

57.27 ± 13.45

29 (56.7%)

5.8 ± 2.4

82.4%

Yi-Heng-Liu et al (2010), China [7]

276

59.21 ± 18.21

178 (64.5%)

29.23 ± 29.6

6.1 ± 2

72.9%

Sachin Jain et al (2006), India [18]

3 - 12

5 - 7

92%

Present study (2013), India

54.7 ± 16

47 (78.9%)

13 ± 5.7

9.7 ± 5.7

94.7%