Soft Tissue Surgery: Thoracostomy Tubes (Chest drains) Flashcards
When is thoracocentesis contraindicated?
- Patient not appropriately stable
- Ongoing haemothorax
- Clinically insignificant volumes
- What lines the pleura?
- What is the purpose of fluid in the pleura?
- Mesothelial cell lining
- Lubriactes for ventilation
What is the problem with pneumothorax?
- Uncouples the coordinated movement of the thoracic wall and lungs during ventilation
- Ventilation/perfusion/V/Q mismatch
How does pleural effusion reduce inspiration?
- Decreases space for lung expansion- decreases tidal volume
- Fluid accumulaiton- reduces diaphragmatic movement- decreasing ventilation
What are the clinical signs of a pleural effusion?
- Increasing severity of signs with rapid progression and/or larger volumes
- Restrictive or paradoxical breathing pattern
- Tachypnoea, dyspnoea/cyanosis
- Orthopnoic posture
- Diminshed cardiac auscultation
- Lung sounds and thoracic percussion- reduced especially ventrally
- Pneumothorax- hyper-resonant
What are the three methods of thoracic cavity drainage?
- Needle thoracocentesis- one off drainage/sampling
Repeated drainage/anticipated
2. Trochar thoractostomy tube
3. Wire guided small more multi-fenestrated thoracostomy tube (MILA)
Describe needle thoracocentesis?
- Pre-oxygenate ± sedation
- IV catheter in place
- Sternal recumbency
- Aseptic preparation of lateral thoracic procecure- 7-9th IC
- Dorsal 1/3rd intercostal: air
- Ventral 1/3rd: fluid
- Consider local: SC lidocaine
- 3 way tap off before insertion
- Butterfly needle parallel to chest wall, slowly advance through intercostal muscles
- Open 3 way tap and aspirate pleural fluid contents
- Turn off 3 way tapp before removing needle
- Post-proceudre radiographs
What equiment is needed for needle thoracocentesis?
- Aseptic preparation equipment
- Butterfly needle or over needle catheter and extension tubing
- 3 way tap
- Syringes
- Tests: EDTA tube (cytology), plain tube (C&S) and smear
- Record volume obtained
What are the complicatoins during placement?
- Lung laceration
- Pneumothorax
- Haemorrhage
- Iatrogenic infection
What angle should the needle for thoracocentesis be inserted at and why?
What should be done if Frank blood is aspirated?
Parallel to the chest
Needle insertion at 90 degrees increases lung laceration risk
Frank blood:
Fresh bright red- iatrogenic haemorrhage will clot
Compare fluid PCV to patient PCV: haemothorax PCV > patients PCV, iatrogenic will =
When should a thoracostomy tube be placed?
- When repeated thoracocentesis is required
- Following thoracic surgery
- Medical managment of pyothorax
What can be done preop before a surgical thoracstomy tube placement?
- Preoxygenate
- Sedation or GA
- Lateral or sternal recumbancy
- Clip and prep from caudal border of scapula to caudal to last rib
- Aseptic technique- risk of iatrogenic pyothorax
How is a thoracostomy tube placed- basicaly for all tubes?
How is tube size selected?
- Insertion into the chest through the 7th or 8th intercostal space
- Cranial border of the rib- intercostal AVN on caudal aspect
- Side of chest based on clinical or imaging findings- bilateral if massive effusion or pyothorax
Tube size:
* Internal diameter- 50% width of the intercostal space
* External diameter- mainstem bronchus diameter
* Length- 2nd to 7th/8th/9th ribs
What are the three tube types used for thoracostomy?
- Trochar-type chest drains
- Jackson Pratt fenestrated drain with trocar
- Guidewire-inserted/MILA
What equipment is needed for thoracostomy tube placement?
- Sterile gloves
- Intercostal nerve block/local anaesthetic/lidocaine
- Scalpel
- Haemostat
- Thumb forceps
- Needle holders
- Scissors
- Tube clamp
- 3-way stopcock
- Tube equipment