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.