Chest Tube Help

[georgette1960]

I have a question about chest tubes...

With the Pleur-Evac system, how should the Air Leak Meter look when the system is functioning properly? I keep reading that if there is bubbling from 0-7 there is an air leak Please define bubbling? Does this mean if the 0-7 columns fill with the water or does this mean you actually see the fluid bubbling? Should there be water in the 0-7 columns normally? I am just confused....

[chare]

if you have an air leak in the system you will see air bubbling through the water in the air leak meter, similar to what you would see if you blew air into a cup of water with a straw. you are able to gauge the size of the leak by noting the numbered column the bubbles are forming in, the larger the number, the larger the leak. the bubble frequency might also vary from an occasional bubble to a steady bubbling in the chamber.

bubbling in the chamber indicates a leak in the system. it could either indicate the presence of a residual pneumothorax or a leak elsewhere in the system. if you are trying to determine whether you have a leak in the system rather than a residual pneumothorax you can determine this, in the presence of constant bubbling by briefly and rapidly clamping and releasing the chest and drainage tube in various locations. start by clamping the chest tube near where it exits the chest wall, and then move distal to the next connection point. when the bubbling stops the clamp has been placed distal to the site of the leak.

do not confuse bubbling in the air leak meter with tidalling. tidalling is the slight deviation in the water level in the absence of bubbling that occurs with the inspiratory/expiratory cycle and this is usually a normal finding.

i hope this information was helpful.

[RussA, BSN, RN]

This site has a "short" chest tube setup/operations video - that explains bubbling and tidaling.

Atrium Medical: Oasis Dry Suction Drain