Resident physician training in bedside pleural procedures: A one-year experience at a teaching hospital.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This study aims to quantify bedside pleural procedures performed at a quaternary teaching hospital describing technical and epidemiological aspects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients who underwent invasive thoracic bedside procedures between March 2022 and February 2023. RESULTS: 463 chest tube insertions and 200 thoracenteses were performed during the study period. Most procedures were conducted by 1st-year Thoracic Surgery residents, with Ultrasound Guidance (USG). There was a notable preference for small-bore pigtail catheters, with a low rate of immediate complications. CONCLUSION: Bedside thoracic procedures are commonly performed in current medical practice and are significant in surgical resident training. The utilization of pigtail catheters and point-of-care ultrasonography by surgical residents in pleural procedures is increasingly prevalent and demonstrates high safety.