After a motor vehicle accident, Armand, a 22-year-old client, is admitted with a pneumothorax. The surgeon inserts a chest tube and attaches it to a chest drainage system. Bubbling soon appears in the water seal chamber. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the bubbling?
A. Air leak
B. Adequate suction
C. Inadequate suction
D. Kinked chest tube
Correct Answer: A. Air leak
Bubbling in the water seal chamber of a chest drainage system stems from an air leak. In pneumothorax, an air leak can occur as air is pulled from the pleural space.
Option B: Inadequate suction does not cause bubbling.
Option C: Bubbling doesn’t normally occur with adequate suction or any preexisting bubbling in the water seal chamber.
Option D: A kinked chest tube does not cause bubbling in the water seal chamber.