A chest tube or chest drain is a flexible plastic tube that is inserted through the side of the chest into the pleural space. It is used to remove air (pneumothorax) or fluid (pleural effusion) from the space.
The free end of the tube is usually attached to an underwater seal, below the level of the chest. This allows egress of air/fluid from the pleural space, while preventing influx of air.
Alternatively, the tube can be attached to a flutter valve. This allows patients with pneumothorax to remain ambulant.
Chesttubes are used to treat conditions that can cause the lung to collapse, which occurs because blood or air in the pleural space can hamper the ability of a patient to breath.
Chesttube size is selected depending on the problem; an 18–20 F(rench) catheter is used for pneumothorax, a 32–26 F catheter for hemothorax, and trauma patients usually require a 38–40 F catheter size; children generally require smaller tube sizes.
Chesttube insertion is a commonly used procedure, and it is typical for patients to recover fully from insertion and removal.
A chesttube or chest drain is a flexible plastic tube that is inserted through the side of the chest into the pleural space.
Chesttubes are usually inserted under local anesthesia.
Modern types of chesttube are placed using the Seldinger technique, which implies that a blunt guidewire is passed over a trocar, over which the chesttube is then inserted.
Feeds |
Contact