[linedoc]

I would just use kerlix on the wound to soak up any blood that may potentially enter the airway, however little it may be. In a chest tube you are dealing with a defined space dealing with negative pressure. Sealing it 100% is a must to try to maintain the integrity of that defined space. I was taught to wrap the tube at the skin/tube interface with petro gauze and then suture tightly around it to promote proper seal.

With the neck injury it's a two way street. a little leakage that far down in the airway is the same as the adjunct itself. I do see what you mean about securing the space between the trachea and the tissue of the neck to prevent SQE, but I feel in that type of injury the bigger problem is the potential hole in the back of the trachea and the vessels/structures in the vicinity. The air has a way to escape in the front, moving with the least resistance.


I'm eager to see what the outcome is....