A meta-analysis of nine studies involving 8,557 patients found that early chest tube removal after cardiac surgery was associated with a higher risk of pericardial effusion, although it resulted in shorter hospital stays without significant differences in mortality or postoperative infections.
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Effusion
December 30, 2025
January 6, 2016
Are we removing enough pericardial fluid to allow a diagnosis of malignant effusion? The authors reviewed 480 pericardiocentesis specimens by comparing the percentage of malignant diagnoses ("malignancy fraction") by the volume submitted for analysis.