This may confuse some patients, as many people associate the need for a chest tube with breathing problems.
Why a Chest Tube Is Placed
A chest tube is placed for a variety of reasons.
One reason is to help the lung re-inflate when someone has a collapsed lung, also known as apneumothorax.
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Chest tubes drain fluid in the space between the lung and the chest wall.
They are easily removed, as the suture is removed and they are gently pulled from the body.
Porcel JM.Chest Tube Drainage of the Pleural Space: A Concise Review for Pulmonologists.Tuberc Respir Dis (Seoul).
National Institutes of Health.
