title: A simple and effective method of preventing inadvertent occlusion of chest tube drains: the corrugated tubing splint.
abstract: Inadvertent occlusion of tube thoracostomy drains by normal patient positioning can be not only a nuisance but also a potentially life-threatening problem. A method of splinting the pliable chest tube drains by using corrugated ventilator circuit tubing is described. This relatively simple and quick technique can help to prevent this undesired and potentially dangerous occlusion of chest tube drains.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. akonstan@bidmc.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Anastasios K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Konstantakos
mesh_terms: D015505:Chest Tubes; D004322:Drainage / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans