Chest drainage is the removal of excess fluid from the pleural cavity, usually via a tube inserted through the chest wall. Sometimes, this fluid comes from an accumulation of water and other bodily fluids in the chest cavity. Other times, this fluid may come from more serious conditions such as pneumonia or bronchitis.
A chest drain is a tube that is inserted into the chest to remove air or fluid from around the lungs. It is also called a thoracostomy tube or chest tube. Chest drains are usually inserted in the hospital, but can sometimes be done at home. If you want to know more about chest tube drainage then you must visit this site.
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There are many reasons why you might need to have a chest drain inserted. These include:
– To relieve a build-up of air or fluid around the lungs (known as pneumothorax or haemothorax)
– To help re-expand a collapsed lung (atelectasis)
– To allow drainage of pus from an infection in the chest (empyema)
– To allow drainage of blood from a traumatic injury to the chest
The procedure to insert a chest drain is usually carried out under local anesthetic, although sometimes general anesthetic is used. A small incision is made in the skin over the affected area and the drain is inserted through this incision into the space around the lungs. The drain is then connected to a suction device which removes any air or fluid that builds up.