The drains used in surgery

1. Surgical drains

2. Drains
• Drains are the devices that act as a channel to
drain established or potential collection of
blood,pus,body fluid or air.
• Often used after surgeries .
• Recording of quantity and content of drainage
is vital to ensure proper healing.

3. Flat
• Dependent on gravity and
capillary action.
eg:Penrose drain
• Less painful and help
obliterate dead space

4. Tube
• Single lumen(+/- side holes)
• Double lumen(sump drains)

5. Classification
• Open vs closed systems
• Active vs passive

6. Open drains;
• Drain fluid collects in gauze pad or stoma
bag(increase the risk of infection)
eg:Penrose drain
Closed drains
• Consists of tubes draining into a bag or bottle.
Eg; jackson –pratt drains

7. • Maintained under suction
Advantage
• Keep wound dry
• Can be placed anywhere
• Prevent bacterial ascension
Disadvantage
• High negative pressure may injure tissue
• Drain clogged by tissue

8. Passive drains
• Have no suction
• Drains by means of pressure
differentials,overflow and gravity.

9. Jackson –Pratt drain
• Bulb shaped device
connected to a tube
• Bulb is squeezed and
connected to the tube
and with negative
pressure body fluid is
drained
• Used in breast,abdominal
and thoracic surgeries

10. Hemovac drain
• One end of tube with multiple holes goes into
the body and other end is connected to
hemovac bag(squeezed before connecting the
tube)

11. Pigtail drain
• Inserted under
strict radiological
guidance
• Used for drainage
of liver abscess, as
a nephrostomy
tube

12. Penrose drain
• Soft and flexible
• Passive drainage
• Drainage from the
area of greater
pressure of wound
to area of lesser
pressure

13. Davol drain
• Device has a rubber
bulb on top of the drain
that act as a pump
• Pump and inflate the
balloon
• And then plug in the
drain before balloon
deflates(inflated balloon
creates the suction)

14. T tube
• Consists of stem and a cross head is placed in
the common bile duct while stem connected
to a bile bag(post op drainage of common bile
duct)

15. Chest tube(closed drain)
• Inserted in the 4th intercostal space in the
upper border of the rib below .
Uses
• Hemothorax
• pneumothorax
• pleural effusion
• chylothorax

16. Complications
• Arterial thrombosis
• air embolism
• hematoma
• bleeding
• infection

18. Nasogastric tube
• A tube passes through nostrils to stomach
Uses
• Aspiration of gastric juice
• Lavage
• Feeding

19. Complication
• Epistaxis
• aspiration
• erosions in nasal cavity

20. Negative pressure wound
therapy
• Promote wound
healing reduction of
bacteria in the wound
• Eg; skin grafted sites
and burn,infected
wound and diabetic
ulcers

21. Complication Of drain
• Inefficient drainage
• Obstruction
• Erosion into hollow organs
• Poor placement
• Accumulation Of fluid
• Foreign body reaction
• Poor post op management