Percutaneous Chest Tube for Pleural Effusion and Pneumothorax

Ukeh, Ifechi MD
Fang, Adam MD
Patel, Sandhya MD
Opoku, Kwaku MD
Nezami, Nariman MD

¹Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
²Naval Medical Center, Aviation Medicine, San Diego, California

Address for correspondence Ifechi Ukeh, MD, 22 South Greene Street, Suite G2K14, Baltimore, MD 21201, [email protected]

Conflict of Interest None declared.

Guest Editors, Claire S. Kaufman, MD and Charles E. Ray, Jr., MD, PhD, FSIR

Seminars in Interventional Radiology 39(3):p 234-247, June 2022. | DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1751295

Abstract

Chest tubes are placed in the pleural space to evacuate abnormal fluid or air accumulations. Various types and sizes of chest tubes are available. Imaging including ultrasound, computed tomography, and fluoroscopy should be used to guide chest tube placement. Understanding the anatomy of the pleural space, along with the etiology and classification of pleural space disease, can help optimize chest tube management. This article will review the indications, contraindications, techniques, and postprocedure follow-up of chest tube placement as well as discuss the management and prevention of complications.