A patient has a chest tube inserted for a pneumothorax. What should the nurse expect when assessing the drainage system?
1. periodic bubbling in the water seal chamber immediately after insertion
2. no evidence of tidaling
3. vigorous bubbling in the suction control chamber
4. large amount of bloody drainage in the drainage collection chamber
Correct Answer: 1
When a chest tube is inserted in the pleural space for a pneumothorax, the trapped air is allowed to escape and periodic bubbling is observed in the water seal as the lung reexpands. The water column in the water seal should rise with inspiration and fall with expiration (tidaling). There should be gentle bubbling in the suction control chamber to avoid rapid evaporation of the fluid in the chamber. Large amounts of bloody drainage would be anticipated after chest tube insertion for hemothorax.
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