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Needle Thoracostomy: Does Changing Needle Length and Location Change Patient Outcome?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 April 2018

Lori A. Weichenthal ,
Scott Owen ,
Geoffory Stroh  and
John Ramos
Lori A. Weichenthal*
Affiliation:
Emergency Medicine, University of California – San Francisco (UCSF) Fresno, Fresno, CaliforniaUSA
Scott Owen
Affiliation:
Emergency Medicine, University of California – San Francisco (UCSF) Fresno, Fresno, CaliforniaUSA
Geoffory Stroh
Affiliation:
Emergency Medicine, University of California – San Francisco (UCSF) Fresno, Fresno, CaliforniaUSA
John Ramos
Affiliation:
Emergency Medicine, University of California – San Francisco (UCSF) Fresno, Fresno, CaliforniaUSA
*
Correspondence: Lori A. Weichenthal, MD, FACEP Professor Clinical Emergency Medicine UCSF Fresno 155 N. Fresno St. Fresno, California 93701 USA E-mail: lweichenthal@fresno.ucsf.edu
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Abstract

Background

Needle thoracostomy (NT) is a common prehospital intervention for patients in extremis or cardiac arrest due to trauma. The purpose of this study is to compare outcomes, efficacy, and complications after a change in policy related to NT in a four-county Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system with a catchment area of greater than 1.6 million people.

Methods

This is a before and after observational study of all patients who had NT performed in the Central California (USA) EMS system. The before, anterior midclavicular line (MCL) group consisted of all patients who underwent NT from May 7, 2007 through February 28, 2013. The after, midaxillary line (MAL) axillary group consisted of all patients who underwent NT from March 1, 2013 through January 30, 2016, after policy revisions changed the timing, needle size, and placement location for NT. All prehospital and hospital records where NT was performed were queried for demographics, mechanism of injury, initial status and post-NT clinical change, reported complications, and final outcome. The trauma registry was accessed to obtain Injury Severity Scores (ISS). Information was manually abstracted by study investigators and examined utilizing univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

Three-hundred and five trauma patients treated with NT were included in this study, of which, 169 patients (the MCL group) were treated with a 14-guage intravenous (IV) catheter at least 5.0-cm long at the second intercostal space (ICS), MCL after being placed in the ambulance; and 136 patients (the MAL group) were treated with a 10-guage IV catheter at least 9.5-cm long at the fifth ICS, MAL on scene. The mean ISS was lower in the MAL cohort (64.5 versus 69.2; P=.007). The mortality rate was 79% in both groups. The multivariate model with regard to survival supported that a lower ISS (P<.001) and reported clinical change after NT (P=.003) were significant indicators of survival. No complications from NT were reported.

Conclusions

Changing the timing, length of needle, and location of placement did not change mortality in patients requiring NT. Needle thoracostomy was used more frequently after the change in policy, and the MAL cohort was less injured. No increase in reported complications was noted.

WeichenthalLA, OwenS, StrohG, RamosJ. Needle Thoracostomy: Does Changing Needle Length and Location Change Patient Outcome?Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(3):237–244.

Keywords

needle thoracostomytension pneumothoraxtrauma
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 33 , Issue 3 , June 2018 , pp. 237 - 244
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2018 

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Footnotes

Conflicts of interest: none

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