With a chest tube

in the pleural space, the water level should fluctuate in the water seal chamber. This is known as tidaling, and should correspond with respiration. ... During spontaneous respiration, the water level will rise during inhalation and fall during exhalation.

What does it mean if chest tube is not Tidaling?

Excessive bubbling may cause unnecessary noise and faster evaporation. If there is no tidaling, consider 1) an occlusion somewhere between the pleural cavity and the water seal, or 2) a full expansion of the lung, where suction has drawn the lung up against the holes in the chest tubes.

Is Tidaling normal in chest tube?

However, with positive-pressure mechanical ventilation, tidaling fluctuations are the opposite: the water level decreases during inspiration and increases during expiration. If tidaling doesn't occur, suspect the tubing is kinked or clamped, or a dependent tubing section has become filled with fluid [8], [14].