Summary of the patient characteristics and outcomes between the groups with two different-sized chest tubes
| Patient characteristic | Total | Small-bore tube | Large-bore tube |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number (%) | 54 | 36 (66.7) | 18 (33.3) |
| Median age (years) | 67.0 | 69.0 | 63.5 |
| Gender: | |||
| Men (%) | 48 (88.9) | 35 (97.2) | 13 (72.2) |
| Women (%) | 6 (11.1) | 1 (2.8) | 5 (27.8) |
| Location: | |||
| Inpatient (%) | 48 | 32 (88.9) | 16 (88.9) |
| Outpatient (%) | 6 | 4 (11.1) | 2 (11.1) |
| Biochemistry profile: | |||
| Average fluid LDH (IU/L) | N/A | 1,963 | 9,048 |
| Average fluid glucose (mmol/L) | N/A | 5.13 | 3.37 |
| Outcome: | |||
| Did not require further intervention (%) | 44 | 29 (80.6) | 15 (83.3) |
| Drainage time (mean±SD, days) | N/A | 5.3±0.22 | 3.8±0.40 |
| Surgical referral (%) | 7 | 4 (11.1) | 3 (16.7) |
| Died (%) | 3 | 3 (8.3) | 0 (0) |
LDH = lactate dehydrogenase; N/A = not applicable; SD = standard deviation