Indication

If fluid, such as blood, or air, gets into the pleural space, the lung can collapse, preventing adequate air exchange. Chest tubes are used to treat conditions that can cause the lung to collapse, such as:

air leaks from the lung into the chest (pneumothorax)
bleeding into the chest (hemothorax)
after surgery or trauma in the chest (pneumothorax or hemothorax)
lung abscesses or pus in the chest (empyema).

Review Date: 5/3/2007
Reviewed By: Robert A. Cowles, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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