Kaan YUSUFOĞLU, Abdullah ALGIN, İbrahim ALTUNDAĞ, Burcu GENÇ YAVUZ, Mustafa Ahmet AFACAN, Şahin ÇOLAK
European Journal of Therapeutics - 2026;32(1):20-28
Objective: To evaluate changes in arterial blood gas (ABG) parameters before and after catheter thoracostomy in emergency department patients and to investigate whether specific ABG values could serve as predictors of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Methods: This single-center, retrospective observational study included 198 adult patients who underwent catheter thoracostomy in the emergency department between January 2020 and January 2024. Results: Post-thoracostomy, significant improvements were observed in all ABG parameters. Lactate level was identified as the strongest predictor of ICU admission. Conclusion: Catheter thoracostomy in the emergency department leads to significant improvements in ABG parameters. ABG analysis, particularly lactate monitoring, may aid early risk stratification and guide ICU resource allocation.
