Intended for healthcare professionals

  1. Traumatic chest drains
  2. Traumatic chest drains
Career Focus

Traumatic chest drains

BMJ 2004; 329 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.329.7462.s69-d (Published 14 August 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;329:s69
  1. D P Walter, consultant in emergency medicine
  1. South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trustdarren.walter{at}smtr.nhs.uk

EDITOR—Well done to Graeme Currie1 for drawing attention to the British Thoracic Society guidelines on the insertion of a chest drain.2 However, the description given clearly refers to placement for a medical condition.

In a trauma resuscitation situation, and following the internationally accepted advanced trauma life support (ATLS) approach,3 it would be inappropriate to place a patient, as far as possible, in anything other than a supine position until unstable spinal injury has been excluded.

The ATLS principles, and indeed the British Thoracic Society guidelines, recommend the placement of larger bore (28 to 30 French gauge) drains in trauma cases, inserted by blunt dissection.

The method of tube placement is important to reduce the risk of complications due to the procedure; however, the clinical condition and circumstances should dictate the actual procedure used.

References

  1. ↵
    Currie GP. Tips on... Inserting a chest drain. BMJ Career Focus 2004;329:29. http://careerfocus.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/329/7458/29-a
  2. ↵
    Laws D, et al. British Thoracic Society guidelines for the insertion of a chest drain. Thorax2003;58(suppl ii): 53-9.
  3. ↵
    American College of Surgeons. Advanced trauma life support course. 6th ed. http://www.facs.org/trauma/atls/ (accessed 5 Aug 2004).
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