Which of the following measures best determines that a patient who had a pneumothorax no longer needs a chest tube?
A. You see a lot of drainage from the chest tube.
B. Arterial blood gas (ABG) levels are normal.
C. The chest X-ray continues to show the lung is 35% deflated.
D. The water-seal chamber doesn’t fluctuate when no suction is applied.
Correct Answer: D. The water-seal chamber doesn’t fluctuate when no suction is applied.
The chest tube isn’t removed until the patient’s lung has adequately re-expanded and is expected to stay that way. One indication of reexpansion is the cessation of fluctuation in the water-seal chamber when suction isn’t applied.
Option A: Drainage should be minimal before the chest tube is removed.
Option B: An ABG test isn’t necessary if clinical assessment criteria are met.
Option C: The chest X-ray should show that the lung is re-expanded.