from tamponade, or develop a large hemothorax. If there is not enough to cause a mechanical compression of the heart or lungs, the resulting inflammatory response to the retained blood can lead to pleural and pericardial effusions and contribute to the triggering of postoperative atrial fibrillation in susceptible individuals. A common complication after thoracic surgery that arises within 30–50% of patients are air leaks. If a chest tube clogs when there is an airleak the patient will develop a pneumothorax. This can be life-threatening. Here, digital chest drainage systems can provide real time information as they monitor intra-pleural pressure and air leak flow, constantly. Keeping vigilant about chest tube clogging is imperative for the team taking care of the patient in the early postoperative period. Major insertion complications include hemorrhage, infection, and reexpansion pulmonary edema. Injury to the liver, spleen or diaphragm is possible if the tube is placed inferior to the pleural cavity. Injuries to the thoracic aorta and heart can also occur. When chest tubes are placed due to either blunt or penetrating trauma, antibiotics decrease the risks of infectious complications. Minor complications include a subcutaneous hematoma or seroma, anxiety, shortness of breath, and cough (after removing large volume of fluid). In most cases, the chest tube related pain goes away after the chest tube is removed, however, chronic pain related to chest tube induced scarring of the intercostal space is not uncommon. Subcutaneous emphysema indicates backpressure created by undrained air, often caused by a clogged chest tube or insufficient negative pressure. If a patient has subcutaneous emphysema, it is likely their chest tube is not draining and consideration should be given if it should be unclogged or another tube should be placed so that the air leaking from the lung can be adequately drained. Device Characteristics Chest tubes are commonly made from clear plastics like PVC and soft silicone. Chest tubes are made in a range of sizes measured by their external diameter from 6 Fr to 40 Fr. Chest tubes, like most catheters, are measured in French catheter scale. For adults, 20 Fr to 40 Fr (6.7 to 13.3mm external diameter) are commonly used, and 6 Fr to 26 Fr for children. Conventional chest tubes feature multiple drainage fenestrations in the section of the tube which resides inside the patient, as well as distance markers along the length of the tube, and a radiopaque stripe which