Question

Chest tube and pleural drainage system for treatment of right sided pneumothorax. suction control chamber is set at 20cm and tubing is attached to wall suction. what would nurse expect to find after chest tube insertion?

- bubbling in water seal chamber
- serosangenous drainage in the collection chamber
- fluctuation in suction control chamber during coughing
- one cm sterile water in the water seal chamber

Answer 1

After chest tube insertion, a nurse would expect to see bubbling in the water seal chamber and serosanguineous drainage in the collection chamber. Fluctuation in the suction control chamber during coughing is not expected, and there should be one cm of sterile water in the water seal chamber to maintain the seal.

Step-by-step explanation:

After the insertion of a chest tube and connection to a pleural drainage system for the treatment of a right-sided pneumothorax, the nurse would expect to find the following:

• Bubbling in the water seal chamber - This indicates that there is air escaping from the pleural space, which is expected immediately following tube placement and when air is being evacuated from the pleural space.
• Serosanguineous drainage in the collection chamber - This type of drainage is common post chest tube insertion and represents fluid and blood draining from the pleural space.
• Fluctuation in the suction control chamber during coughing - This is not typically expected. Fluctuations often occur in the water seal chamber with inhalation and exhalation, not the suction control chamber.
• One cm of sterile water in the water seal chamber - This is to maintain the water seal, which prevents air from re-entering the pleural space.

It is important to maintain the negative pressure within the thoracic cavity to prevent lung collapse and facilitate lung expansion.