The nurse observes air bubbles in a person's chest tube water seal chamber. How should the nurse interpret this finding?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Air bubbles in the chest tube water seal chamber are a normal finding and indicate that air is being expelled from the person's pleural space. The water seal chamber allows air to exit the pleural space through the chest tube, while preventing air from entering back into the pleural space. As air exits the pleural space, it creates intermittent air bubbles in the water seal chamber, which is a sign that the chest tube is functioning properly.

The Nurse Observes Air Bubbles in a Person's Chest Tube