Drainage is the drainage of body fluids from wounds, organs or other areas of the body using special drains or catheters. The simplest example of drainage is drainage. It is carried out with the use of filters, which are used in the treatment of incised abscesses, purulent fistulas, etc.
Drainageis the drainage of liquid contents, ie physiological or pathological, from organs or areas of the body, most often outside the body of the sick person. Drainage is performed with the use of filters and catheters, which differ in structure and application. They differ mainly in thickness.
Types of drainage
Surgical drainage is divided into the following groups:
- Targeted drainage- ensures the outflow of body fluids, e.g. bile, pancreatic juice or intestinal juice. In the case of hydrocephalus, the cerebrospinal fluid is drained into the peritoneal cavity. On the other hand, in the pneumothorax, in addition to draining the fluid content, it aims to restore the correct pressure in the pleural cavity.
- Preventive drainage- the drain protects the area against the accumulation of secretions in the place and quantity that may result in the formation of reservoirs subject to further contamination.
- Flow drainage- two or more drains are used. Some of them serve as drains leading to a given area (e.g. they deliver antibiotics), while the other ones drain the excess of this substance after passing through the area of action.
What is drainage?
The simplest example of drainage isdrainage , for which, as the name suggests, a filter is used. Draining consists in leaving a wound drainage filter or, less frequently, a gauze strip in the wound.
The main task of the filter is to prevent premature wound closure and to constantly drain the contents. The filters are used in the treatment of e.g. incised abscesses or purulent fistulas.
Post-operative wound care with drain
The most important step in the care of a surgical wound is its proper cleansing. A postoperative wound should always be cleaned from its bottom towards the edges. We use a lot of sterile gauze for this.
During care, special attention should be paid to the tightness of the wound, and the patency of the drainsthe quantity and quality of content that flows out of the drains. Catheters should also be checked.
It is very important to follow the rules of asepsis when changing dressings and cleaning the wound. We must control the edge of the cavity to avoid the wound dehiscence, and take antibiotics prescribed by the doctor.
Clean non-infected postoperative wounds from the center towards the edges of the wound, while infected and colonized wounds the other way round - from the edges towards the center.
When are we talking about an infected wound?
Symptoms that indicate this include:
- redness in the wound area,
- pain,
- heat increase,
- swelling around the edges of the surgical wound.
Pus or bloody discharge from the inside of the wound, between the sutures or from the drainage hole is also a significant signal.
Read more: Wound infection - symptoms. How to recognize a wound infection?