Contents:
- Medical Video: Chest Tube Placement by Chris Weldon for OPENPediatrics
Complications
What complications can occur?
Medical Video: Chest Tube Placement by Chris Weldon for OPENPediatrics
Definition
What is chest drain insertion?
Insertion chest drain involves the installation of a small tube in your pleural space (the space between your lungs and your ribs) to drain air or liquid.
A collection of air (pneumothorax) occurs if your lungs are punctured. This can cause pain and shortness of breath.
A collection of fluid (pleural effusion) can make it difficult for you to breathe.
When should I undergo chest drain insertion?
You may need to drain the chest to empty the blood or air after surgery or trauma (where your chest is experiencing direct pressure) to prevent lung failure.
Prevention & warning
What should I know before doing chest drain insertion?
X-rays or scans can show that you have air or fluids and your doctor can empty them using a needle. However, if the amount is large, chest drain insertion is usually the best treatment.
Process
What should I do before the procedure is done?
Because general chest tube placement is often performed as an emergency procedure or after surgery, there is only the minimum preparation needed by the patient. If you are conscious, your doctor will ask for your consent to do the procedure. If you are unconscious, he will explain why a chest tube needs to be done after you wake up.
Generally, X-rays, chest ultrasound, or a chest CT scan were previously done to help confirm that your lung problems are due to fluid or air, and to determine whether chest tube installation will help overcome this problem.
What is the process of this procedure?
Inserting a tube usually takes less than 20 minutes.
Your doctor will inject a local anesthetic into the area where the tube will be inserted.
Your doctor will make an incision and insert a tube in the room between the lungs and ribs. This tube is attached to a drainage bag or special bag.
What should I do after this procedure?
You will usually stay in the hospital until your chest tube is removed. Patients can sometimes go home with a chest tube.
When the chest tube is in your body, the nurse will be careful to check for air leaks, respiratory problems, and if you need oxygen. They will also make sure the tube is in place. Your nurse will tell you whether you can stand and walk or sit in a chair.
What do you need to do?
Breathe deeply and try to cough regularly (your nurse will teach you how to do it). Deep breathing and coughing will help enlarge your lungs, help drain, and prevent fluid from accumulating in your lungs.
Be careful not to get your tube twisted. The drainage system should always be upright and under your lungs. If not, the liquid and air will not drain and your lungs cannot enlarge.
Get help immediately if:
- your chest tube out or shifted
- tube not connected
- suddenly you have difficulty breathing or experiencing more severe pain
Removing the chest tube is usually done quickly, and without sedation. Your doctor will give specific instructions, but it is important to hold your breath when the tube is being removed so that no additional air enters the lungs.
After that, the bandage will close the former installation. You might have a small scar.
Your doctor can schedule x-rays later to make sure there is no air and fluid buildup that is not needed in the lungs.
Complications
What complications can occur?
Some risks of the installation procedure are:
- the tube shifts accidentally (this can cause the tissue around the tube to break)
- infection or bleeding when a tube is inserted
- pus buildup
- placement of a tube that is not good (through tissue, stomach, or too far in the chest)
- injury to the lungs, which can cause more difficulty breathing
- organ injury near the tube, such as lymph, stomach, or diaphragm
- serious complications
Serious complications are rare, usually on average only in less than 5% of cases. These complications are:
- bleeding in the pleural space
- lung, diaphragm or stomach injury
- the lungs collapse when the tube is removed
- infection
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
