Chest
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
The Impact of Gravity versus Suction-driven Therapeutic Thoracentesis on Pressure-related Complications: the GRAVITAS Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.
Thoracentesis can be accomplished by active aspiration or drainage with gravity. This trial investigated whether gravity drainage could protect against negative pressure-related complications such as chest discomfort, re-expansion pulmonary edema, or pneumothorax compared with active aspiration. ⋯ Thoracentesis via active aspiration and gravity drainage are both safe and result in comparable levels of procedural comfort and dyspnea improvement. Active aspiration requires less total procedural time.