Question about chest tubes

[mlauren]

I have a test on this Monday. My question is what is the difference between tidaling and bubbling? And what is different about tidaling when suction is hooked up?

I know that you're checking for bubbling in the water seal chamber and that it should happen when the patient coughs, sneezes, and on exhalation. And I know that continuous bubbling means there is a leak. But I'm confused about the rest.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Think about the physiology and the physics behind it.

What happens to the pressure in the chest cavity during normal inspiration and expiration?

What happens to the pressure in the chest cavity during artificial ventilation?

Water moves, or tidals, according to pressure.

Bubbling can happen for two reasons, from a leak, and from the therapeutic function. How do you tell the difference?