Intercostal Tube Insertion (Chest Tube Placement)
Care Before the Procedure
- Inform your doctor about blood thinners, allergies, or bleeding disorders.
- Consent should be obtained for the procedure.
- Imaging (X-ray or ultrasound) may be done to guide placement.
- Fasting may be required if sedation or anesthesia is planned.
Care During the Procedure
- The patient is usually lying on the side or slightly upright.
- The chest area is cleaned and sterilized, and local anesthesia is applied.
- A tube is inserted between the ribs into the pleural space.
- The tube is connected to a drainage system to remove air or fluid.
- Vital signs are monitored throughout the procedure.
Care After the Procedure
- Monitor vital signs and tube output regularly.
- Keep the tube secured and sterile; avoid kinks or dislodgement.
- Report shortness of breath, chest pain, fever, or sudden drainage changes.
- The tube is gradually removed once the lung is fully re-expanded.
- Follow-up imaging may be needed to confirm lung expansion.
- Inform your doctor about blood thinners, allergies, or bleeding disorders.
- Consent should be obtained for the procedure.
- Imaging (X-ray or ultrasound) may be done to guide placement.
- Fasting may be required if sedation or anesthesia is planned.
Featured Specialities
Our Speciality Services
Pulmonology (Respiratory Medicine)
Our Respiratory Medicine department delivers specialist care for the full spectrum of lung and sleep disorders, from asthma and COPD to interstitial lung disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory failure. An interventional pulmonologist, sleep specialist, respiratory therapist and critical care expert make up our multidisciplinary team, which provides personalised diagnosis, bronchoscopic and image-guided interventions, comprehensive rehabilitation, and post-COVID support. The clinic offers in-depth functional testing (PFT, DLCO, body plethysmography, FeNO, CPET), level-1 and level-3 sleep studies, and therapeutic services such as EBUS, cryobiopsy, pleuroscopy, and bronchial artery embolisation.
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