Are routine chest X-rays following chest tube removal necessary in asymptomatic pediatric patients?

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine if routine chest X-rays (CXRs) performed after chest tube (CT) removal in pediatric patients provide additional benefit for clinical management compared to observation of symptoms alone. Methods A single-center retrospective study was conducted of inpatients, 18 years or younger, who had a CT managed by the pediatric surgery team between July 2017 and May 2019. The study compared two groups: (1) patients who received a post-pull CXR and (2) those who did not. The primary outcome of the study was the need for intervention after CT removal. Results 102 patients had 116 CTs and met inclusion criteria; 79 post-pull CXRs were performed; the remaining 37 CT pulls did not have a follow-up CXR. No patients required CT replacement or surgery in the absence of symptoms. Three patients exhibited clinical symptoms that would have prompted intervention regardless of post-pull CXR results. One patient had an intervention guided by post-pull CXR results alone. Meanwhile, another patient had delayed onset of symptoms and intervention. No patients required an intervention in the group that did not have a post-pull CXR. Conclusion Chest X-ray after CT removal had a very low yield for changing clinical management of asymptomatic patients. Clinical symptoms predict the need for an intervention.