Feasibility Study of Novice-Performed Lung Ultrasound for Pneumothorax Detection After Cardiac Surgery

Summary

What is the purpose of this study? This study is being done to find out if medical trainees (such as residents and fellows) can learn to use lung ultrasound to detect a collapsed lung (pneumothorax) after heart surgery. Who is participating in the study? Adults who have recently had heart surgery and are having their chest tubes removed in the intensive care unit may be able to join. What will happen during the study? After chest tubes are removed, a trained medical trainee will use a small ultrasound device to check the lungs at the bedside. The patient will also have a chest X-ray, which is the usual test. The results from the ultrasound will be compared to the chest X-ray and reviewed by expert doctors. What is the goal of the study? The goal is to see if it is possible to train medical trainees to use lung ultrasound safely and accurately in real hospital settings. The results will help plan a larger study in the future.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 18 years or older
* Undergoing cardiac surgery
* Scheduled for chest and/or mediastinal chest tube removal in the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe chronic lung disease that may impair lung ultrasound interpretation, including:
* Subcutaneous emphysema
* COPD or emphysema with FEV₁ \< 50% predicted
* Interstitial lung disease with FEV₁ \< 75% predicted
* Documented history of pneumothorax prior to chest tube removal requiring intervention
* Mechanical ventilation at the time of eligibility screening
* Inability to undergo lung ultrasound or chest X-ray (e.g., due to hemodynamic instability or positioning limitations)

Conditions6

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