Small Drainage Volumes of Pleural Effusions Are Associated with Complications in Critically Ill Patients: A Retrospective Analysis

Pleural effusions are a common finding in critically ill patients and small bore chest drains (SBCD) are proven to be efficient for pleural drainage. The data on the potential benefits and risks of drainage remains controversial. We aimed to determine the cut-off volume for complications, to investigate the impact of pleural drainage and drained volume on clinically relevant outcomes. Medical records of all critically ill patients undergoing...