Conclusion
There is not adequate evidence to support the right time to discontinue
of a chest tube in a patient with heart surgery. However, this
systematic review revealed that if the chest tube removal occurs about
24 hours postoperatively, and with less than 100 ml drainage within the
last 8 hours, it reduced the risk of pleural effusion and improve many
other outcomes such as hospital stay, and decrease need for analgesia,
physiotherapy, oxygen and decrease nursing care hours. Further
multicenter trials with standardized methodology and even a guideline
are needed to specify the best time for chest tube removal and proper
care from a chest tube.