chest tube question

[Rollie Parrish]

I assume you mean a hypothetical situation where you couldn't just
re-connect the drain device, like it was crushed or broken.

Quickly fold the end of the tubing back to mimic the effect of a chest tube
clamp. That can give you some time to put together a 'Heimlich' or flutter
valve using a disposable glove.

To make the flutter valve, just cut the finger off a glove and cut a small
slit in the tip. Tape the finger portion to the end of the chest tube, which
will allow air to escape but any negative pressure on inspiration will
collapse the finger around the end of the tube.

If all you have available is a glove with no tape or scissors (highly
doubtful), you could just manually hold the wrist portion of the glove
around the end of the chest tube and tear a small hole in one of the distal
fingers.


-- 
Rollie Parrish
rparrish at flightweb.com


On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 11:57 AM, <pedsrusscott at cs.com> wrote:


> Greetings - One more quick question - outside of the ER/ICU with lots of

> resources immediately available, what would you do in the hallway or

> ambulance with a patient who has a chest tube & the tubing becomes

> disconnected - still in the chest, but the connection tubing is

> disconnected? - the books say to put the tubing "under water or a bottle of

> saline" to simulate a water seal, but I've honestly never seen that done -?

> options suggested have been to do the do the water seal trick or just to

> "wipe it off with an alcohol pad & put it back together until a new chest

> drain can be set up" - any input welcomed & appreciated!

> ?

>

> thanx!

>

> Scott DeBoer RN,MSN

>

> UCAN Flight RN

>

> Peds-R-Us Medical Education

>

>

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