The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has alerted the NHS to the risks associated with inserting chest drains, commonly used on patients with chest trauma, collapsed lungs, or after surgery, to remove air and fluids.
Due to the risk of damaging internal organs through poor positioning, the NPSA strongly supports the use of ultrasound when positioning a drain. Where practicable, patients should also be required to provide written consent prior to the procedure.
The guidance follows reports of 12 deaths and 15 incidents of serious harm following the medical procedure over three years from January 2005 to March 2008.
