Chest tube insertion - series

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Indication

If fluid, such as blood, or air, gets into the pleural space, the lung can collapse, preventing adequate air exchange. Chest tubes are used to treat conditions that can cause the lung to collapse, such as:

• air leaks from the lung into the chest (pneumothorax)
• bleeding into the chest (hemothorax)
• after surgery or trauma in the chest (pneumothorax or hemothorax)
• lung abscesses or pus in the chest (empyema).

Update Date: 9/15/2011

Updated by: Andrew Schriber, MD, FCCP, Specialist in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Virtua Memorial Hospital, Mount Holly, New Jersey. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

Related Pages

• Chest Injuries and Disorders
• Critical Care
• Lung Diseases
• Pleural Disorders

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