RT Book, Section A1 Eisen, Lewis A2 Oropello, John M. A2 Pastores, Stephen M. A2 Kvetan, Vladimir SR Print(0) ID 1136419473 T1 Chest Tube Insertion T2 Critical Care YR 1 FD 1 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9780071820813 LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1136419473 RD 2023/09/27 AB KEY POINTSChest tubes vary in size from 6 to 40 French. For patient comfort and to avoid complications, the smallest tube that will drain the pleural space should be chosen.When available bedside ultrasound should be used for pleural diagnosis and to guide chest tube insertion.For a hemothorax, continued drainage of more than 250 mL of blood per hour warrants a surgical consult.The most common complications of chest tube insertion include malposition, blockage, infection, dislodgement, re-expansion pulmonary edema, subcutaneous emphysema, nerve injuries, intrathoracic organ injuries, and residual pneumothorax.Chest tube systems should be examined daily for the amount of drainage, the presence of an air leak and the presence of respiratory variation of the fluid column.