The nurse observes air bubbles in a patient's chest tube water seal chamber. The nurse interprets this finding as which of the following?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Air bubbles in the chest tube water seal chamber are a normal finding as long as they occur intermittently and not continuously. This indicates that air is being evacuated from the pleural space. However, if air bubbles are continuous and increasing in frequency, it may indicate a worsening of the pneumothorax or an air leak.

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