In respiratory medicine, a flutter valve (also Pneumostat valve, and Heimlich valve) is a one-way

check valve A check valve, non-return valve, reflux valve, retention valve, foot valve, or one-way valve is a valve that normally allows fluid (liquid or gas) to flow through it in only one direction. Check valves are two-port valves, meaning they have ...

used to prevent airflow back into a

chest tube A chest tube (also chest drain, thoracic catheter, tube thoracostomy or intercostal drain) is a drain (surgery), surgical drain that is inserted through the chest wall and into the pleural space or the Mediastinum. The insertion of the tube is som ...

, and usually is applied to drain air from a

pneumothorax A pneumothorax is collection of air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp, one-sided chest pain and dyspnea, shortness of breath. In a minority of cases, a one-way valve is ...

. The design of the flutter valve features a rubber sleeve in a plastic case, where the rubber sleeve is arranged so that when air flows through the valve the sleeve opens and allows the outwards airflow from the body of the patient; however, when the airflow is reversed, the rubber sleeve closes and halts backwards airflow into the body of the patient. The construction of the flutter valve enables it to function as a one-way valve allowing airflow, or the flow of a fluid, in only one direction along the drainage tube. The end of the drainage tube is placed inside the chest cavity of the patient — into the air mass or into the fluid mass to be drained from the thorax. The flutter valve is placed in the appropriate orientation (designed so that the valve can only be connected in the appropriate orientation) and the

is thus evacuated from the chest of the patient. Usage of the flutter valve presents potential problems such as clogging of the chest tube, which might provoke the recurrence of the

or the

subcutaneous emphysema Subcutaneous emphysema (SCE, SE) occurs when gas or air accumulates and seeps under the skin, where normally no gas should be present. ''Subcutaneous'' refers to the subcutaneous tissue, and ''emphysema'' refers to trapped air pockets. Since the ...

, which can lead to

empyema An empyema (; ) is a collection or gathering of pus within a naturally existing anatomical cavity. The term is most commonly used to refer to pleural empyema, which is empyema of the pleural cavity. It is similar or the same in meaning as an a ...

. Another potential problem leaks of fluid, which are resolved with a small chest-drain; or with a sputum-trap attached to the valve, to function as a reservoir of the draining fluid. Flutter valves (Pneumostat valves) allow patients to ambulate more easily and patients may be able leave the hospital in certain instances. The traditional chest tube collection box often requires a longer hospital stay. Additional to the Heimlich valve, a chest-drainage management system, which typically enables the application of vacuum, and the quantification of the effluent; however, a drainage-management system is much a larger apparatus with more tubing, which encumbers the patient.

References

External links

bd_bardparker_heimlich_chest_drain_valve_brochure.pdf
from BD Bard Parker(tm)

from www.freepatentsonline.com

from Netter Medical Illustrations (the blue tubular valve)

{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002183726/http://www.leyi-plastic.com/category-medical-bag-14838.html , date=2022-10-02 from Emergency Medical Products

from www.freepatentsonline.com Pulmonology Valves

See also

References

External links