Chest Tube Placement

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Chapter 43

Chest Tube Placement

Introduction

The most common indications for placement of a chest tube are pneumothorax (simple or tension), hemothorax, hemopneumothorax, empyema, and pleural effusion (acute or chronic). A chest tube needs to be placed in three defined situations. In the urgent situation the patient has unstable physiologic parameters and requires immediate chest tube placement. In the semiurgent situation the mandatory chest tube is needed “sooner rather than later,” and has an acute problem or indication but appears hemodynamically stable. However, delay in placing the chest tube could result in the patient becoming unstable and the need for an urgent procedure because of clinical deterioration. The nonurgent situation is typically elective and occurs in patients with stable hemodynamics and a chronic or recurrent physiologic problem. In other elective situations a chest tube is needed as part of a scheduled procedure, such as diaphragm repair or thoracotomy.

Superficial Anatomy and Topographic Landmarks

Regardless of the indication or urgency, five key anatomic concepts must be understood to maximize the effectiveness and safety of accessing the pleural space when placing a chest tube, as follows:

The first important concept of placing a chest tube or accessing the pleural space involves the ability to identify superficial anatomic landmarks (Fig. 43-1, A). The key landmarks for accessing the pleural space are identification of the clavicular head; midclavicular line; the anterior, middle, and posterior axillary lines; and intercostal spaces with corresponding ribs. The ability to count ribs accurately will facilitate the placement of chest tubes. In a female patient the nipple should not be used as a landmark. Instead, the inframammary fold should be used to identify the 5th rib at the anterior axillary line. In a male patient the lower border of the pectoralis major muscle is a good approximation for the site of tube insertion.

The second key concept when accessing the pleural space is to recognize that the intercostal neurovascular bundles lie just below the inferior portion of the ribs (Fig. 43-1, B). Thus it is important to place the chest tube over the most superior portion of the rib to avoid injuring the intercostal neurovascular bundle.

The third anatomic principle is to recognize the boundaries of the chest and pleural space. Failure to recognize these boundaries can result in misadventures in chest tube placement such as placing a tube into or below the diaphragm, which can cause bleeding or injury to intraabdominal or major vascular structures (Fig. 43-2, A).

The fourth critical anatomic concept is to understand the difference between the left and right chest (Fig. 43-2, B). The key differences between the left and right chest must be appreciated when accessing the pleural space. The right lung has three lobes and the left has two lobes. The location of the horizontal fissure on the right and oblique fissure on the left is at approximately the 4th rib at the anterior axillary line. Staying below this rib can help avoid placement of the tube within a fissure.

The fifth and final important anatomic detail is to understand the cross-sectional anatomy of the chest wall and the layers that must be traversed to access the chest. These layers include the skin, subcutaneous tissue, intercostal muscles, and parietal pleura (Fig. 43-2, C).

Specific Indications and Conditions

Urgent Placement

A chest tube placed under urgent conditions needs to be done quickly and efficiently. Local anesthetic is often not indicated in this situation. It is still recommended to prepare the area with an antiseptic solution, usually chlorhexidine or povidone-iodine. Towels are placed to outline the aseptic field. The nipple should be visible to help identify the appropriate landmarks, and the ipsilateral arm should be abducted over the patient’s head if possible.

Identify the anterior axillary line and the inframammary or subpectoral fold, and identify the rib at this location. Make a 2- to 3-cm skin incision directly over the center of the rib with a No. 10 blade, and take the incision down to the periosteum of the rib. In a thin patient, retracting the skin cranially before making the incision will create more soft tissue for tunneling.

After the incision is made, tunnel through the intercostal muscles and the parietal pleura, and enter the pleural space. The classic description is to use a medium or large Kelly clamp with combined pushing and spreading, but in an urgent situation, this procedure should be done quickly with one or two passes. Once the chest cavity is entered, be sure to spread enough to allow a finger to be placed into the chest. The chest tube can be inserted through this tunnel with the assistance of the large Kelly clamp. Either close the Kelly clamp over the tube, or place the clamp tip through one of the side holes and slide it out the end of the tube (Fig. 43-3). The Kelly clamp can assist in directing the tube posteriorly to evacuate fluid or anteriorly to evacuate a pneumothorax. All the holes in the chest tube must be within the pleural space for the tube to work properly.

Semiurgent Placement

The semiurgent technique is similar to the placement of an urgent chest tube. However, the practitioner will have time to infuse local anesthetic and more completely towel and drape the patient. Local anesthetic can be infused in two steps: infiltration of anesthetic in the skin and soft tissue over the incision site, followed by infiltration over the rib into the intercostal muscles and pleura. A useful strategy is to infiltrate this deeper layer after the skin incision.

The needle should follow the direction of the planned tunnel, aspirating the entire way until the pleura space is entered. If the procedure is performed for pneumothorax or effusion, air or fluid will be aspirated in the syringe; at this point, stop advancing and start withdrawing the needle tip slowly. Infiltrate a large bolus of local anesthetic while slowly withdrawing the needle through the parietal pleura and intercostal muscles.

The tunnel is then dissected as previously described. However, this procedure can be done more slowly in the semiurgent situation than with an urgently placed chest tube.