Preliminary Report of a Prospective, Randomized Trial of Underwater Seal for Spontaneous and Iatrogenic Pneumothorax

Early underwater seal appears to be safe for treating iatrogenic and spontaneous pneumothoraces. It can achieve comparable frequencies of early chest tube removal and avoidance of operation compared with traditional management. A larger, multi-institutional study should be performed to demonstrate that pneumothorax treatment can effectively incorporate small-caliber tubes and underwater seal.