Exam 22: Chest Tubes

Continuous bubbling is noted in the water seal chamber.How should the respiratory care practitioner determine if the leak is in the tubing or the patient's chest?

A postoperative patient who has just had thoracic surgery has just been admitted to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit with a chest tube in his right side.It becomes obstructed with blood.This will cause loss of lung volume _________________

Chest tubes are indicated to remove which of the following from a patient's thoracic cavity? I.Pus II.Air III.Blood IV.Fluid

After insertion of a chest tube,how should the position of the chest tube be assessed?

Which part/chamber of the chest tube regulates the vacuum to the patient's chest to drain an empyema?

A patient with a chest tube in place develops swelling of the tissue surrounding the chest tube with crackling sensations also noted in the same area.What could be causing this and how is it treated?

If the water level in the water seal chamber is too low,what can be the hazard to the patient?

If the chest tube drainage system needs to be changed,when should it be done?

What should be done to the connections of the chest tube to prevent leaks?

What is the name of the rigid metal rod that is inserted into the chest tube for insertion?

What controls the amount of suction applied to a patient's chest tube?

A patient with a chest tube in place suddenly develops chest pain and severe respiratory distress.What could be causing this?

A pneumothorax develops while a patient is being mechanically ventilated.A chest tube is placed and the lung fails to seal.There is a large amount of air bubbling through the water seal chamber.What could be causing this?

Which part/chamber of the chest tube would collect blood from a patient who has suffered chest trauma?

When preparing a chest tube drainage system for use on a patient,what should the respiratory care practitioner do to the water seal chamber of the drainage system?

If the respiratory care practitioner observes continuous bubbling in the water seal chamber,what is the problem causing this phenomenon?

What is "tidaling"?

While troubleshooting a chest tube leak,the respiratory care practitioner clamps the tubing where it enters the chamber and the leak stops.Where is the leak in the system?

A patient is admitted to the emergency department after being involved in a motor vehicle accident.The patient has massive chest trauma and the physician is suspicious that he has a pneumothorax,though the patient has bilateral chest movement.Where on the chest radiograph would you look to find a smaller pneumothorax?

Once the chest tube has been sutured in place,the practitioner should help the physician by doing what to the dressing site?