Standardized Protocol for Chest Tube Management for Trauma Patients Significantly Decreases Complications.

Background: As health care shifts to a value-based model with a focus on patient outcomes per dollar spent, it is important to develop and evaluate standardized protocols that ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes and decreased hospital complications. Prior to our chest tube protocol, chest tube management at our Trauma Center was nonuniform and surgeon-specific. The aim of this study was to (1) develop an institutional standardized protocol for chest tube management at our Level II Trauma Center and (2) compare patient outcomes before and after the implementation of our protocol.