The enigma of removing a chest tube in thoracic trauma

Background Injuries are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality around the world, and their burden is expected to rise dramatically by the year 2020. Tube thoracostomy is the most widely performed procedure for management of blunt and penetrating chest traumas and has a pivotal role in their management. Chest tube (Ct) drain output is the main determinant in the management and removal of chest tube. The present study was conducted to correlate drainage volume with timing of chest tube removal, with an aim to establish a safe drainage volume for chest tube removal.