Sure, you could just jam a 14 gauge angiocath into the intercostal space and listen for the whoosh of air that may and may not come… But why not try this method, which takes a few seconds longer to set up, but gives you better feedback and allows you to temporarily close the system in preparation for a formal chest tube.
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About the Author: Brad Sobolewski, MD, MEd
Brad Sobolewski, MD, MEd is a Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and an Associate Director for the Pediatric Residency Training Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. He is on Twitter/X @PEMTweets, on Instagram @BradSobolewski, authors the Pediatric Emergency Medicine site PEMBlog and is the host and creator of PEM Currents: The Pediatric Emergency Medicine Podcast. All views are strictly my own and not official medical advice.
