Chest Drainage Catheter: An Essential Tool in Thoracic Medicine
A chest drainage catheter, commonly referred to as a chest tube or thoracic catheter, is a flexible tube inserted into the pleural space—the area between the lungs and the chest wall—to remove air, fluid, blood, pus, or other substances. This procedure alleviates pressure on the lungs, facilitates proper lung expansion, and restores normal breathing function.