CORRESPONDENCE

Complications of tube thoracostomy for chest trauma

To the Editor: In response to the article by Maritz et al.,¹ I would like to draw attention to a poster detailing the key steps of an intercostal drain insertion that was presented at the ASSA-SAGES congress in Sun City in August 2007 (SAMJ, August 2007). The poster was produced by a trauma surgeon dealing with chest trauma in the Cape Flats in conjunction with a local company. The Xpand drain by Sinapi was found to be equivalent to the conventional underwater drain.² The poster can be ordered at no cost from www.sinapi.co.za or by emailing chrisd@sinapi.co.za or phoning +27 (0)83 264 8090; it should be made available in the procedure rooms of trauma units.

D Allard

Department of Surgery
G F Jooste Hospital
Manenberg, Cape Town
denisallard@mweb.co.za

1. Maritz D, Wallis L, Hardcastle T. Complications of tube thoracostomy for chest trauma. S Afr Med J 2009; 99: 114-117.         [ Links ]

2. Cooper C, Hardcastle T. Xpand chest drain: assessing equivalence to current standard therapy- a randomised controlled trial. S Afr J Surg 2006; 44: 132-135.         [ Links ]