Introduction
Chest tube manipulation strategies to ensure the patency of chest tubes and mediastinal tubes in patients after cardiac surgery have been common practice among both nurses and surgeons in a variety of healthcare settings. The purpose of this clinical review is to summarize the current scientific evidence in relation to the following clinical question: Does the practice of milking or stripping chest tubes increase patency and thereby prevent cardiac tamponade in postoperative cardiac surgery patients? A secondary question is this: Is milking or stripping associated with negative clinical consequences?