CVP lines are inserted into veins in either the arm or the chest just below the shoulder, or occasionally on the side of the neck. The CVP line is connected to a monitor. Chest Tubes Tubes inserted into the chest between the lung and ribs to allow fluid and air to drain from the area surrounding the lungs. Removing this fluid and air from around the lungs allows them to more fully expand. An accumulation of fluid and air in the lung cavity can cause the lung to collapse.
Chest tubes drain into a large plastic container near the foot of the patient's bed.
The patient may have one or more of these tubes in place. Nurses will monitor the comatose patient for non-verbal signs of pain. The recording made by small, round electrode pads located on the patient's chest to monitor heart rate and rhythm. These are connected to a monitor and uses routinely in the intensive care unit. A tube that serves as an artificial airway inserted through the patient's nose or mouth.