رجل عمره ٤٠ سنة بعد جراحة استئصال جزء من الرئة، متصل بأنبوب صدر مع غرفة ماء. اليوم الثاني، لاحظ الممرض فقاعات مستمرة في غرفة الماء (Water seal) مع الشهيق والزفير، والتشبع ٩٥٪. ماذا تعني غالباً؟

A 40-year-old man after lung resection has a chest tube with a water-seal chamber. On day 2 the nurse notes continuous bubbling in the water-seal chamber on inspiration and expiration; SpO2 95%. What does this usually mean?

1. The lung has fully re-expanded
2. The system is working completely normally
3. An air leak in the system or from the lung
4. The tube is blocked by a clot

Answer: C) An air leak in the system or from the lung. Intermittent bubbling on expiration or coughing can be expected with a pneumothorax, but continuous bubbling means an air leak. The system is checked from the skin to the unit to locate it. Loss of tidaling may mean re-expansion or a blocked tube.