مريض بأنبوب صدر، وعند لمس جلد الصدر والرقبة حول الأنبوب يشعر الممرض بطقطقة تحت الجلد. ماذا يعني ذلك؟

A client has a chest drain, and the nurse feels crackling under the skin around it and up the neck. What does this mean?

1. A haematoma under the skin needing needle aspiration
2. Subcutaneous emphysema; mark its edges and report if it spreads
3. A normal finding needing no further monitoring
4. A bacterial skin infection needing antibiotics now

Answer: B) Subcutaneous emphysema; mark its edges and report if it spreads. Crepitus is air in the tissues and is usually benign and reabsorbed. Its margins are marked and watched; rapid spread, dyspnoea or voice change is reported at once as it may signal a large leak.