Improvised chest tube drain for decompression of an acute tension pneumothorax.
A case of a woman presenting with an acute tension pneumothorax during a Navy humanitarian mission in East Timor is presented. The patient was treated at a local rural clinic run by our medical team. Prompt insertion of a chest tube saved the woman's life; however, there were no chest tube drains available. A field chest tube drain constructed out of an IV bag, a sterile water bottle, and tubing provided an adequate underwater seal and drain. Because of the remote location and limited resources, standard prehospital chest tube management had to be modified. A brief review of simple and tension pneumothoraces and management along with a description of the field chest tube drain is presented.
Vinson
Eric D
ED
1st Marine Division 2/5 H&S Company, Battalion Aid Station, Camp Pendleton, CA 92055, USA.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D015505:Chest Tubes; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States