What should we pay attention to in the postoperative care of pneumothorax?

Pneumothorax is actually a symptom of gas accumulation caused by air entering the pleural cavity. The patient will suddenly feel chest pain, accompanied by dry cough, difficulty breathing, and difficulty in breathing. Many patients who develop this disease undergo surgery. So what should we pay attention to in postoperative care?

Nursing care of the patient after pneumothorax surgery: positioning and activity. After surgery, the patient usually assumes a semi-recumbent position, which means that the head and feet are elevated, and the height of the feet should be lower than the head, so that the volume of the chest cavity increases, which is beneficial for breathing and drainage. Patients are encouraged to move around in bed moderately, and to take deep breaths and cough to promote the expansion of compressed lung tissue and expel gas from the chest cavity.

Some tubes can be inserted as drainage devices to drain the gas in the chest cavity. The drainage tubes should be properly fixed. Sometimes the patient is asked to take a deep breath or cough. The drainage bottle should be lower than the patient's chest, and the liquid in the bottle should not exceed the tube mouth. The drainage liquid should be closely and accurately recorded.

3 If the patient needs to be moved, be careful to prevent the drainage tube from falling off, air leakage, and backflow of drainage fluid; when the patient does not have chest tightness and difficulty breathing, it means that the patient's lung tissue has restored its tension. After no gas is discharged and the lungs are fully expanded after closing the tube, the tube can be removed.

When recording drainage, pay attention to the amount, color, properties and water column fluctuations of the drainage fluid. Be careful not to allow bacteria to infect the wound or enter the drainage fluid during intubation, venting and wound care. Do not cough too hard. Do not do strenuous exercise or hold your breath for one month after recovery from pneumothorax. Maintain good eating habits.