Table 1.

Total sample and group characteristics.

Variable	Total	OA Group	NA Group	p-value
No. patients	206	93	113
Gender (M/F)	150/56	67/26	83/30	0.94
Age (years)	44.1±16.8	41±17	46.3±16.7	0.014
Etiology (n)
Parapneumonic	131 (63.5%)	57 (61.2%)	74 (65.4%)
Post-Thoracic Procedures*	24 (11.6%)	9 (9.6%)	15 (13.2%)
Tuberculous	24 (11.6%)	12 (12.9%)	12 (10.6%)
Infected Hemothorax+	20 (9.7%)	12 (12.9%)	8 (7.1%)
Subphrenic abscess†	5 (2.42%)	2 (2.1%)	3 (2.6%)
Unknown	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.8%)
Hemithorax (R/L/Bilat)	120/82/4	51/40/2	69/42/2	0.66
Preoperative hospital stay (days)	14.8±19.2	15.1±17.9	14.6±20.4	0.85
Previous Chest Tube	92 (44.6%)	44 (47.3%)	48 (42.4%)	0.24
Preoperative drainage time (days)	12.8±10.3	11±7.3	14±11.9	0.28
ASA-PS (p25-p75)	2 (2-3)	2 (1-3)	2 (2-3)	0.013
CCI (p25-p75)	1 (0-4)	0 (0-3)	2 (0-4)	0.032
OD/VATS	112/94	80/13	32/81	<0.001

The data are presented as either n(%), median ± standard deviation or p50 (p25-p75). OA, old algorithm; NA, new algorithm; M, male; F, female; R, right; L, left; Bilat, bilateral; ASA-PS, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status; CCI, Charlson Comorbidity Index; OD, open decortication; VATS, Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery; *, thoracic procedures included: pulmonary lobectomy (n = 7), pleurodesis (n = 5) and others (n = 9); ⁺, causes included thoracic trauma (n = 15) and others (n = 5); †, causes included hepatic abscess (n = 4) and pancreatic-pleural fistula (n = 1).