A surgical procedure where a flexible plastic tube is placed through the chest wall into the pleural space to drain air, blood, or fluid from around the lungs. This procedure is commonly used to treat pneumothorax (collapsed lung) or pleural effusion.
From Old English 'cest' (box, container) referring to the thoracic cavity, combined with Latin 'tubus' (pipe) and 'insertio' (a putting in). The term reflects the literal action of inserting a drainage tube into the chest cavity.
Chest tubes save lives in emergency situations like car accidents where a punctured lung can cause fatal tension pneumothorax within minutes. The procedure follows the same basic principle used by ancient Greek physicians who would puncture the chest with bronze instruments to relieve trapped air, though modern chest tubes allow for continuous drainage and monitoring.
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