Table 3. Procedural/periprocedural risk factors for prolonged chest tube requirement post percutaneous lung biopsy.

P- values represent result of Mann-Whitney test for needle gauge, number of pleural interface punctures, and sedation time; Fisher exact test for coaxial/non-coaxial technique, biopsy type, patient positioning, pneumothorax size, and presence of air leak; and chi-square for needle path and chest tube size.

	Chest tube dwell time <3 days post- biopsy	Chest tube dwell time ≥3 days post- biopsy	p-value
Total (n)	132	55
Coaxial vs. non-coaxial technique
% Coaxial (n)	84.1% (111)	81.8% (45)	p = 0.67
Core biopsy + FNA vs. FNA only
% Core biopsy + FNA (n)	81.3% (104)	80.8% (42)	p = 1.00
Largest needle gauge used
Mean ± SD	19.5	19.5	p = 0.77
Range	17–22	17–22
Needle path
% Intraparenchymal	73% (97)	55% (30)16% (9)	p = 0.039*
% Superficial	11% (14)	29% (16)
% Transfissural	17% (21)
Number of pleural interface punctures (n)
Mean ± SD	1.0 ± 0.7	1.0 ± 0.6	p = 0.10
Range	1–6	1–3
Prone vs. supine patient positioning
% Prone (n)	42% (54)	35% (19)	p = 0.41
Sedation time (minutes)
Mean ± SD	38 ± 13	46 ± 22	p = 0.051
Range	20–80	25–120
Large vs. small/intermediate pneumothorax
% Large pneumothorax (n)	20% (26)	27% (15)	p = 0.33
Presence vs. absence of air leak
% Documented air leak (n)	16% (21)	18% (10)	p = 0.67
Chest tube size (French)
% 8.5 (n)	3.8% (5)	0.0% (0)	p = 0.21
% 10.2 (n)	72.3% (94)	72.3% (45)
% 12 (n)	23.8% (31)	23.8% (10)

^*When biopsy results in chest tube placement, the odds of having a chest tube placed for greater than 3 days is 2.5 times higher for Transfissural vs Intraparenchymal biopsy OR 2.5; 95% CI = 1.14 – 5.31; p=0.023, Fisher exact test.