Aspiration vs tube thoracostomy for primary spontaneous pneumothorax

In the U.S., large pneumothoraces are generally treated with tube thoracostomy (chest tube drainage); in Europe, it’s common to first attempt to simply aspirate the pleural space (such as with a thoracentesis kit) — it’s often successful at resolving the pneumothorax, and is less invasive. Among 402 patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax at 31 …