This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated post-biopsy manoeuvres to reduce pneumothorax following computed tomography-guided percutaneous transthoracic lung biopsy. Twenty-one articles were included with 7080 patients. Chest drain insertion rates were significantly reduced by ninefold with the normal saline tract sealant compared to controls (OR 0.11, 95% CI 0.02-0.48), threefold with the rapid rollover manoeuvre to puncture site down (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.18-0.63), threefold with the tract plug (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.22-0.48) and threefold with the blood patch (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.26-0.58). The absolute chest drain insertion rates were the lowest in the normal saline tract sealant (0.8% vs 7.3% for controls), rapid rollover (1.9% vs 5.2%), deep expiration and breath-hold on needle extraction (0.9% vs 1.8%) and standard rollover versus no rollover (2.6% vs 5.2%). These findings highlight post-biopsy manoeuvres which could help reduce pneumothorax and chest drain insertions following lung biopsies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 1/no level of evidence, systematic review.
Keywords: Blood patch; Breath-hold; CT-guided lung biopsy; Lung biopsy; Meta-analysis; Normal saline tract; Pneumothorax; Rollover; Systematic review; Tract plug.