GRADE evidence summarizing the effectiveness of chest tubes placed to suction or water seal: positive values favour water seal, negative values favour suction
| Outcome | No. studies | No. participants | Results (95% CI) | Quality of the evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration of air leak, d | 2 | 175 | WMD 1.15 (−0.64 to 2.94) | Very low*†‡ |
| Duration of air leak/length of staple line, d/cm | 2 | 175 | WMD 0.07 (0.01 to 0.13)§ | Very low*†‡ |
| Incidence of prolonged air leak | 7 | 814 | ARR 0.04 (−0.01 to 0.09) | Low*‡ |
| Duration of chest tube, d | 4 | 404 | WMD 0.96 (−0.12 to 2.05) | Low*‡ |
| Duration of hospital stay, d | 4 | 404 | WMD 2.19 (−0.63 to 5.01) | Low*‡ |
| Incidence of pneumothorax | 4 | 292 | ARR −0.14 (−0.21 to −0.07)§ | Moderate‡ |
| Incidence of arrhythmia | 2 | 236 | ARR −0.04 (−0.15 to 0.08) | Very low*†‡ |
| Incidence of death | 2 | 191 | ARR −0.01 (−0.04 to 0.03) | Low†‡ |
| Incidence of pneumonia | 2 | 236 | ARR −0.03 (−0.12 to 0.06) | Very low*†‡ |
ARR = absolute risk reduction; CI = confidence interval; WMD = weighted mean difference.
↵* Evidence limited by heterogeneity between studies.
↵† Evidence limited by imprecise data (small sample size or event rate).
↵‡ Evidence limited by high or unclear risk of bias in studies.
↵§ Statistically significant.