How should you secure a chest-tube to prevent accidental removal?

• A. Suture the tube to the skin for secure fixation.
• B. Secure with a stable dressing and a chest-tube stabilizing device or tape; avoid tension on the tube.
• C. Wrap the tube loosely with gauze only.
• D. Tie a knot around the tube itself.

Answer: (B)

Securing a chest tube to prevent accidental removal hinges on anchoring the tube firmly to the chest wall while avoiding any tension that could pull it out. The best approach uses a stable dressing around the insertion site plus a chest-tube stabilizing device or adhesive tape to hold the tube in place. This combination keeps the tube from being tugged or displaced during movement, while still allowing drainage and minimizing disruption to surrounding tissues.

Wrapping loosely with gauze or tying a knot around the tube don’t provide reliable fixation and can allow movement, obstruction, or damage to the tube or tissues. Suturing the tube to the skin isn’t routine practice for secure fixation due to potential skin injury and infection risk, and it doesn’t offer the controlled stabilization that a dedicated device or tape with an appropriate dressing does.