Health Education

What is Chest Tube Underwater Seal Drainage

Thoracic drainage is to insert a thoracic drainage tube through the rib space of the chest wall, and fix it on the skin with a suture to avoid slip-off. The chest drainage tube is then connected with a drainage bottle for underwater drainage, or connected with a low-pressure suction device for suction, so that the lungs can be completely expanded without leakage. After the evaluation by doctors, the thoracic drainage tube can be removed.

Purpose

To remove the drainage of blood, pus, fluid or gas from the pleural cavity, and reconstruct the negative pressure in the pleura to facilitate the expansion of the lungs and restore the cardiopulmonary function, so as to allow the lungs to expand again.

Precautions

• Placement of the tube can be painful. The medical staff will administer analgesics according to your condition and the doctor's advice to relieve your discomfort.
• When lying in bed, the tubes should be properly fixed at the edge of the bed to avoid entanglement, and so as not to affect the function of drainage. When changing posture or shift position, attention should be paid to the involvement or detachment of the tubes at any time.
• Semi-sitting and lying position or frequent changes in the supine position is beneficial to drainage and breathing. Also, the use of a breath training device is helpful to recovery of respiratory system and reduction of complications.
• If itching, swelling, hotness, pain or peripheral effusion occurs at the insertion site of the thoracic duct, please inform the nurses. They would be happy to help you.
• When your physical strength is good enough, you can take deep breaths and do cough exercise, climb a flight of stairs and other activities to help lung expansion.
• When you get out of bed, the chest drainage bottle should be lower than the waist(please use a drainage bottle seat or bottle rack), so as to avoid the reverse flow of drainage fluid.
• During the activity, the thoracic drainage tube should be kept airtight and avoid of obstruction. If it is accidentally detached or broken, please inform the medical staff immediately to help, so as to avoid large amounts of gas entering the chest, resulting in pneumothorax.
• If you or your family as the patient has difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or dyspnea, chest tightness and chest pain during the insertion of the chest drainage tube, please inform the medical staff to deal with it immediately.
• Do not remove the joint between the thoracic drainage tube and drainage bottle, tilt the drainage bottle, or take off the cap of the drainage bottle without permission to pour drainage fluid, or clamp the drainage tube and other dangerous behaviors, so as to avoid life-threatening consequences.
• By following the doctor’s instructions, usually when your drainage fluid is less than 100 C.C. per day, pale yellow and clear, and no bubbles and follow-up X-ray examination shows that the lungs are fully dilated, the patient can be discharged from hospital for follow-up treatment after the doctor evaluates that there is no physical discomfort following the removal of the chest tube.