NURS 371 Lecture Notes - Lecture 29: Exhalation, Thomson To7, Pressure Measurement
Document Summary
Increasing suction at the suction source will increase airflow through the system, but will have minimal effect on the amount of suction imposed on the chest cavity. Excessive source suction not only causes loud bubbling (which can disturb patients and caregivers), but also hastens evaporation of water from the suction control chamber. A one-way valve replaces the traditional water seal. Water seal chamber - acts as a one way valve allowing gas to escape, but not reenter the chest. The middle chamber of a traditional chest drainage system is the water seal. The main purpose of the water seal is to allow air to exit from the pleural space on exhalation and prevent air from entering the pleural cavity or mediastinum on inhalation. When the water seal chamber is filled with sterile fluid up to the 2 cm line, a 2 cm water seal is established (figure 14).
