An Exploration of Chest Tube Placement Accuracy and Anatomical Variations

Placing a tube thoracostomy (aka chest tube) is a very useful procedure but can have complications of injuring the diaphragm or intraabdominal organs. Traditionally, the location for placement is selected using anatomic landmarks to find the correct intercostal space. This study questions the safety of this traditional location by using point-of-care ultrasound to visualize diaphragm movement during respirations. Is this the start of ultrasound-assisted chest tubes? https://www.ultrasoundgel.org/94 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32333800/