| NA as first intervention (n = 32) | ICD as first intervention (n = 29) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age, years (IQR) | 31 (25–39) | 32 (26–36) | 0.66 |
| Male, n (%) | 21 (66%) | 22 (76%) | 0.41 |
| Right sided, n (%) | 19 (59%) | 18 (62%) | >0.99 |
| Previous pneumothorax, n (%) | 4 (13%) | 5 (17%) | 0.72 |
| Smoking history Current/Ex, n (%) Never, n (%) Mean pack years, n (IQR) | 26 (82%) 3 (9%) 9 (5–20) | 21 (75%) 6 (21%) 12.5 (8.5–20) | 0.54 0.29 0.49 |
| Symptoms Chest pain, n (%) Dyspnoea, n (%) Cough, n (%) | 26 (81%) 27 (84%) 4 (13%) | 24 (83%) 28 (97%) 8 (28%) | >0.99 0.20 0.20 |
| Median LOS, days (IQR) | 6 (4–10) | 9 (4–13) | 0.19 |
| Successful lung re-expansion, n (%) | 3 (10%) | 19 (66%) | <0.0001 |
| Need for surgical intervention, n (%) | 10 (31%) | 10 (34%) | >0.99 |
| Recurrence, n (%) | 10 (31%) | 1 (3%) | 0.0064 |
Categorical variables shown as n (%), comparisons made with Fisher’s exact test; continuous variables shown as median (25th – 75th percentile), comparisons made with Wilcoxon signed rank test.