A client with a chest tube in place is being transported via stretcher

A client with a chest tube in place is being transported via stretcher to another room closer to the nurses’ station. During the transport the collection unit bangs against the wall and breaks open. The nurse immediately:

1. Clamps the tube
2. Tells the client to hyperventilate
3. Raises the tubing above the client’s chest level
4. Places the end of the tube in a container of sterile water

ANSWER

ANS: 4
If the drainage unit is broken, the end of the chest tube can be quickly submerged in a container of sterile water to reestablish the seal. Clamping the chest tube may result in a tension pneumo-thorax. If the tubing becomes disconnected, the client should be instructed to exhale as much as possible and to cough. The client should not hyperventilate. Raising the tubing above the client’s chest level will not help the situation.