Thoracostomy in children with severe trauma: An overview of the paediatric experience in Victoria, Australia.

In severely injured children, thoracostomy is an effective and reliable method to achieve emergency pleural decompression, including in the young child. The technical challenges presented by children are real, but can be addressed by training to support a low complication rate. We recommend thoracostomy over needle thoracocentesis as the first-line intervention in children with traumatic cardiac arrest, tension pneumothorax and massive haemothorax. [Correction added on 23 September 2019 after first online publication: in the second sentence of the conclusion, the words "under review process" were mistakenly added and have been removed.].