How To Care For Your Thoracic Vent Tube?
A thoracic vent is a small device that's connected to your chest. It features a one-way valve that seals with a port and a thin flexible catheter that allows extra air to escape from your chest. This allows your lung to fully expand. The adhesive wings secure the vent to your chest.
You can also get the placement of the thoracic vent chest tube from centese.com/cardiac-surgery/. It may also be sutured (stitched) in place. If you have had an air leak for more than 7 days, you may be discharged from the hospital with a thoravent.
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These are some tips to take care of your thoracic vent.
- Your Thora-Vent shouldn't touch your skin. The catheter (tube) shouldn't be visible. Your healthcare provider should be notified immediately if your catheter is visible.
- Tape can be used to hold the adhesive wings in place if they begin to separate from your skin. Tape is not recommended for the chamber.
- You should not move or remove your vent. Your healthcare provider should be contacted immediately if your vent is moving out of its place. In the meantime, you can put the Vaseline(r) gauze that your nurse gave you over the site with clean, dry gauze on top of it. Apply them to your skin.