Interpleural location of chest drain on ultrasound excludes pneumothorax and associates with a low degree of chest drain foreshortening on the antero-posterior chest X-ray.

Background: The role of chest drain (CD) location by bedside imaging methods in the diagnosis of pneumothorax has not been explored in a prospective study yet.

Methods: Covid-19 ARDS patients with pneumothorax were prospectively monitored with chest ultrasound (CUS) and antero-posterior X-ray (CR) performed after drainage in the safe triangle. CD foreshortening was estimated as a decrease of chest drain index (CDI = length of CD in chest taken from CR/depth of insertion on CD scale + 5 cm). The angle of inclination of the CD was measured between the horizontal line and the CD at the point where it enters pleural space on CR.

Results: Of the total 106 pneumothorax cases 80 patients had full lung expansion on CUS, the CD was located by CUS in 69 (86%), the CDI was 0.99 (0.88-1.06). 26 cases had a residual pneumothorax after drainage (24.5%), the CD was located by CUS in 31%, the CDI was 0.76 (0.6-0.93),p < 0.01. The risk ratio for a pneumothorax in a patient with not visible CD between the pleural layers on CUS and an associated low CDI on CR was 5.97, p˂0.0001. For the patients with a steep angle of inclination (> 50°) of the CD, the risk ratio for pneumothorax was not significant (p < 0.17). A continued air leak from the CD after drainage is related to the risk for a residual pneumothorax (RR 2.27, p = 0.003).

Conclusion: Absence of a CD on CUS post drainage, low CDI on CR and continuous air leak significantly associate with residual occult pneumothorax which may evade diagnosis on an antero-posterior CR.