[A thoracentesis needle with spring-loaded valve].

With the new-style thoracentesis needles with spring-loaded valve designed by ourselves, thoracentesis were carried out in 60 patients with ages ranging from 2 to 74 years. The successful rate for the operation was 100% (198/198), without any major complications such as pneumothorax, hemothorax, pleural shock or infection. The results show that this kind of puncture needle is multi-purpose and easy to operate, with high safety and reliability.