There are many types of surgery in which body cavities are opened. Examples include abdominal and chest surgeries. Once such surgeries have been completed, it is common for drain tubes to be left in place for some time. Their role is to facilitate the drainage of fluids such as blood, serous secretions, pus and mucous among others. You need to understand a number of things to be able to effectively handle a drain tube after surgery.
There are two different types of mechanisms that are involved in the removal of unwanted fluids. The first is the passive mechanism and involves the flow of fluids under the influence of gravity. All that is required for this method to work is to have the patient put on a higher level than the jar into which the fluid is flowing. The active mechanism requires a suctioning force.
Since the tube remains in position for a couple of days, most of the care takes place in the post-surgical wards. The staff in the ward should inspect the tube and the associated equipment at regular intervals to ensure that it is functioning normally. Some of the things to look out for as soon as the patient is admitted to the ward include inspecting for leakages, signs of infection, blockage and the presence of inflammation.
Subsequent inspections should ideally be made at intervals of four hours. The same procedure conducted during the initial evaluation should be repeated. One of the most frequently encountered complications is localized or generalized infection. Such should be suspected if there is abnormal oozing (of pus), redness at the point of entry, increased tenderness within the site and a fever. A cotton swab of pus and blood culture tests are usually used for confirmation.
Leakage tends to occur if proper fixation is not done. It is important that an airtight seal is created between the incision and the tube. Another common causes of leakage includes frequent movements of patients. A temporary solution to this problem is reinforcement with dressings and adhesive tape as a more long lasting solution is awaited. In this case, the solution is to stitch the area with surgical sutures.
It is important that all the findings after each inspection are properly documented. This is especially important for the monitoring of the amount of fluid that is being drained; there is a need to know whether it is increasing or reducing. In the event that any abnormalities are noticed the head of the treatment team is informed so that the problem can be rectified.
Removal of the drain is done when it stops draining or if the amount that is released per day drops to less than 25 milliliters per day. A bit of pain may be experienced during the removal so it would be a good idea to take some pain killers beforehand. For those that have had the drain for a long time, granulation tissue may make it quite difficult to remove the tube.
Unless there is another problem that requires observation, patients can be released from hospital on the same day that the tube is removed. Antibiotics are usually given for several days as prophylaxis against infections and dressing is also continued. Patients should be warned to come back immediately for evaluation if there is excessive oozing from the site, if they develop a fever or if the area becomes tender and reddened.
There are two different types of mechanisms that are involved in the removal of unwanted fluids. The first is the passive mechanism and involves the flow of fluids under the influence of gravity. All that is required for this method to work is to have the patient put on a higher level than the jar into which the fluid is flowing. The active mechanism requires a suctioning force.
Since the tube remains in position for a couple of days, most of the care takes place in the post-surgical wards. The staff in the ward should inspect the tube and the associated equipment at regular intervals to ensure that it is functioning normally. Some of the things to look out for as soon as the patient is admitted to the ward include inspecting for leakages, signs of infection, blockage and the presence of inflammation.
Subsequent inspections should ideally be made at intervals of four hours. The same procedure conducted during the initial evaluation should be repeated. One of the most frequently encountered complications is localized or generalized infection. Such should be suspected if there is abnormal oozing (of pus), redness at the point of entry, increased tenderness within the site and a fever. A cotton swab of pus and blood culture tests are usually used for confirmation.
Leakage tends to occur if proper fixation is not done. It is important that an airtight seal is created between the incision and the tube. Another common causes of leakage includes frequent movements of patients. A temporary solution to this problem is reinforcement with dressings and adhesive tape as a more long lasting solution is awaited. In this case, the solution is to stitch the area with surgical sutures.
It is important that all the findings after each inspection are properly documented. This is especially important for the monitoring of the amount of fluid that is being drained; there is a need to know whether it is increasing or reducing. In the event that any abnormalities are noticed the head of the treatment team is informed so that the problem can be rectified.
Removal of the drain is done when it stops draining or if the amount that is released per day drops to less than 25 milliliters per day. A bit of pain may be experienced during the removal so it would be a good idea to take some pain killers beforehand. For those that have had the drain for a long time, granulation tissue may make it quite difficult to remove the tube.
Unless there is another problem that requires observation, patients can be released from hospital on the same day that the tube is removed. Antibiotics are usually given for several days as prophylaxis against infections and dressing is also continued. Patients should be warned to come back immediately for evaluation if there is excessive oozing from the site, if they develop a fever or if the area becomes tender and reddened.
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