I saw quite a few chest drains on the respiratory ward and also in ITU (intensive care unit) whilst in the hospital so thought I would find out what they do. A chest drain is "a hollow, flexible tube in the chest, acting like a drain" (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002947.htm). They are used to drain fluids from the body such as "blood, fluid or air from around your lungs, allowing the lungs to fully expand" (http://tinyurl.com/d37r3ur), so it is mainly used when the lungs have been compressed, thus decreasing the size of the lungs and causing reduced efficiency. The chest x-ray below (http://tinyurl.com/cw6cy96) shows a 'pleural effusion' (shadow on the right side of the picture (left lung))-the "buildup of fluid between the layers of tissue that line the lungs and chest cavity" (http://tinyurl.com/3e5hnul) which is the area where the chest drain takes fluid from, in "the space between the inner lining and the outer lining of your lung" (http://tinyurl.com/d37r3ur).
The "body produces pleural fluid in small amounts to lubricate the surfaces of the pleura, the thin tissue that lines the chest cavity,surrounds the lungs. A pleural effusion is an abnormal, excessive collection of this fluid" (http://tinyurl.com/3e5hnul).
It is inserted and guided to the right area by 'numbing the area where the drain will be inserted, it is then inserted through a cut in your skin between your ribs' (http://tinyurl.com/d37r3ur) as can be seen below (http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/000618_2.htm).
The tube, once in the right position (as above), then removes the fluid from the lining of the lung using suction. It is then removed once no more fluid comes out of the drain as there is no need for the drain anymore. An x-ray is then carried out again to see the improvement and the lung should look almost normal, with almost all of the fluid removed.
Video of the procedure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp1uBR8Lvn4.
The "body produces pleural fluid in small amounts to lubricate the surfaces of the pleura, the thin tissue that lines the chest cavity,surrounds the lungs. A pleural effusion is an abnormal, excessive collection of this fluid" (http://tinyurl.com/3e5hnul).
It is inserted and guided to the right area by 'numbing the area where the drain will be inserted, it is then inserted through a cut in your skin between your ribs' (http://tinyurl.com/d37r3ur) as can be seen below (http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/000618_2.htm).
The tube, once in the right position (as above), then removes the fluid from the lining of the lung using suction. It is then removed once no more fluid comes out of the drain as there is no need for the drain anymore. An x-ray is then carried out again to see the improvement and the lung should look almost normal, with almost all of the fluid removed.
Video of the procedure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp1uBR8Lvn4.
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