The selective conservative management of small traumatic pneumothoraces following stab injuries is safe: experience from a high-volume trauma service in South Africa

Advanced Life Support for Doctors. Student manual, 9th edn. American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Chicago, Illinois; 2012.

Laws D, Neville E, Duffy J. BTS guidelines for the insertion of a chest drain. Thorax. 2003;58(Suppl 2):ii53–9.

Tebb ZD, Talley B, Macht M, Richards D. An argument for the conservative management of small traumatic pneumathoraces in populations with high prevalence of HIV and tuberculosis: an evidence-based review of the literature. Int J Emerg Med. 2010;3(4):391–7. doi: 10.1007/s12245-010-0190-z .

Hegarty MM. A conservative approach to penetrating injuries of the chest. Experience with 131 successive cases. Injury. 1976;8(1):53–9.

Muckart DJ. Delayed pneumothorax and haemothorax following observation for stab wounds of the chest. Injury. 1985;16(4):247–8.

Alrahbi R, Easton R, Bendinelli C, Enninghorst N, Sisak K, Balogh ZJ. Intercostal catheter insertion: are we really doing well? ANZ J Surg. 2012;82(6):392–4.

Bailey R. Complications of tube thoracostomy in trauma. J Accid Emerg Med. 2000;17(2):111–4.

Clarke DL, Thomson SR, Madiba TE, Muchart DJ. Selective conservatism in trauma management: a South African contribution. World J Surg. 2005;29(8):962–5.

Dural K, Han S, Yildirim E, Koçer B, Kandemir M, Ozişik K, Sakinci U. Treatment in patients with low traumatic pneumothorax ratio. Tuberk Toraks. 2005;53(1):57–61.

Johnson G. Traumatic pneumothorax: is a chest drain always necessary? Emerg Med J. 1996;13(3):173–4.

Knottenbelt JD, van der Spuy JW. Traumatic pneumothorax: a scheme for rapid patient turnover. Injury. 1990;21:77–80.

Madiba TE, Thomson SR, Mdlalose N. Penetrating chest injuries in the firearm era. Injury. 2001;32(1):13–6.

MacDuff A, Arnold A, Harvey J, BTS Pleural Disease Guideline Group. Management of spontaneous pneumothorax: British Thoracic Society Pleural Disease Guideline 2010. Thorax. 2010;65(Suppl 2):ii18–31. doi: 10.1136/thx.2010.136986 .

Lesur O, Delorme N, Fromaget JM, Bernadac P, Polu JM. Computed tomography in the etiologic assessment of idiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax. Chest. 1990;98(2):341–7.

Ernst AA, McIntyre WA, Weiss SJ, Weiss CB. Occult pneumothoraces in acute trauma patients. West J Emerg Med. 2012;13(5):437–43. doi: 10.5811/westjem.2011.9.6781 .

Bridges KG, Welch G, Silver M, Schinco MA. CT detection of occult pneumothorax in multiple trauma patients. J Emerg Med. 1993;11(2):179–86.

Barrios C, Trat T, Malinoski D, Lekawa M, Dolich M, Lush S, et al. Successful management of occult pneumothorax without tube thoracostomy despite positive pressure ventilation. Am Surg. 2008;74(10):958–61.

Baumann MH, Strange C, Heffner JE, Light R, Kirby TJ, Klein J, Luketich JD, Panacek EA, Sahn SA; AACP Pneumothorax Consensus Group. Management of spontaneous pneumothorax: an American College of Chest Physicians Delphi Consensus statement. Chest. 2001;119(2):590–602.