24/04/2020
COVID19 patients haven’t typically required chest tubes but may if they sustain ventilator-induced lung injury. Chest tubes are inserted through the skin of the chest wall into the pleural cavity to drain fluid or to instill therapeutic agents. The most common indications are:
1. Pneumothorax: air leakage into the pleural cavity, which causes the lung to collapse.
2. Hemothorax: blood in the pleural cavity, which may be from injury to the chest.
3. Pleural effusion: fluid in the pleural cavity, which may be simple uninfected fluid, infected pus (empyema), or lymph (chylothorax).
4. Pleurodesis: Instilling agents into the pleural cavity to help treat pneumothorax or pleural effusions that do not respond to usual treatment.
5. Postoperative care: Continuous low-level section to maintain lung inflation or drain postoperative secretions.
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