Question

Chest tubes are inserted following a thoracotomy and attached to a Pleur-evac water seal drainage system. When evaluating the effectiveness of the drainage system, you notice that fluid is fluctuating up and down in the water seal chamber. What is your initial intervention?

a. Clamp the chest tube closest to the client

b. Call the physician immediately

c. Check for air leaks in the system

d. Do nothing because the fluctuations is normal.

Answer 1

Ans) c. Check for air leaks in the system

Explaination:

- Intermittent bubbling, corresponding to respirations in the water- seal chamber, indicates an air leak from the pleural space; it should resolve as the lung reexpands. If bubbling in the water-seal chamber is continuous, suspect a leak in the system.