Pneumothorax and chest drain insertion

Chest drain insertion is a common procedure used routinely to drain the chest cavity. It can be used to drain air, as is the case of a pneumothorax, or to drain blood (heamothorax), chyle (chylothorax), fluid (pleural effusion) or pus (empyema) from the chest cavity. It is the commonest procedure performed for thoracic trauma. Seldinger and open surgical chest drain insertion are both discussed, as well as the use of ultrasound guidance to aid insertion/aspiration. Air (or fluid) in the pleural cavity causes the lung to collapse and results in a variable degree of impairment of both oxygenation and ventilation.
Source: Surgery (Medicine Publishing) - Category: Surgery Authors: Tags: Cardiothoracic surgery – II Source Type: research