Telehealth-directed emergency tube thoracostomy

Abstract

In this case, we describe the remote telehealth leadership of emergent tube thoracostomy in a patient with a critical respiratory status. The patient had presented to a small rural health care facility with breathlessness and hypoxia despite supplemental oxygen. A subsequent chest x-ray revealed a large pneumothorax requiring emergent treatment to prevent respiratory demise. Due to their location, the arrival of a critical care team would be delayed, and the local staff had very limited prior experience with chest procedures. Through remote telehealth leadership, the local team was guided through initial attempts at the Seldinger tube thoracostomy technique, before progressing to an open approach following failure of the initial attempt. Ultimately, the patient was stabilised and remained admitted locally, avoiding aeromedical retrieval. Key learnings included the need to develop a shared mental model of the procedure, responding to local equipment limitations, the leadership response to initial technique failure, and maintenance of situational awareness. This furthers evidence provided in prior case reports that high acuity low occurrence critical care procedures can be facilitated via remote telehealth support.