Once the final chest drain is removed after cardiothoracic surgery, it is common practice to obtain a chest X-ray to evaluate for air or fluid that may have accumulated in the process of drain removal. However, the results of a retrospective study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital suggest routine imaging isn’t necessary.

Brigham researchers conducted a prospective trial in which Black and Latinx adults with asthma, whose mortality rates from asthma are twice as high as those of white individuals, were asked to use an inhaled glucocorticoid whenever they used a quick reliever. They reported improvements on every outcome measure studied.

Numerous approaches to diaphragm plication procedures have been reported, with no consensus on the ideal technique. Surgeons at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a radial diaphragm plication technique that makes use of thoracoscopic instruments to increase lung volume with long-term benefits.

Researchers at the Brigham, including Matthew M. Rochefort, MD, and Aaron R. Dezube, MD, of the Division of Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery, and colleagues retrospectively studied a large series of patients undergoing lung resection to determine the incidence of severe prolonged air leaks and its risk factors.