Overview
If fluid, such as blood, or air, gets into the pleural space, the lung can collapse, preventing adequate air exchange. Chest tubes are used to treat conditions that can cause the lung to collapse, such as:
- Air leaks from the lung into the chest (pneumothorax)
- Bleeding into the chest (hemothorax)
- After surgery or trauma in the chest (pneumothorax or hemothorax)
- Lung abscesses or pus in the chest (empyema)
Review Date 8/26/2023
Updated by: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.