Drainage in medicine: what it is, how and for what it is used

What is drainage? The answer to this question is found in the materials of this article. In addition, we will tell you about how this method is implemented in Medical practice and for what it is needed.

General information

Drainage in medicine is a therapeutic method, which consists in removing the contents of wounds, hollow organs, abscesses, as well as pathological or natural cavities of the body.

Full and proper drainage is able to provide sufficient outflow of exudate and create the best conditions for the fastest rejection of dead tissues with the transition of the healing process to the regeneration phase.

Drainage in medicine has practically no contraindications. By the way, this method has one more undeniable advantage in the process of purulent antibacterial or surgical therapy, which consists in the possibility of a targeted fight against infection of wounds.

Effective drainage conditions

To make effective drainage (in medicine), experts determine its character, choose the optimal way for drainage, and use of medicinal means for rinsing cavities (resp. Microflora). An important role in this practice is played by the maintenance of the drainage system and compliance with aseptic rules.

By what is carried out?

Drainage in medicine is carried out with the help of glass, rubber or plastic tubes of various diameters and sizes. In addition, glove graduates, specially manufactured plastic strips, gauze swabs, as well as catheters and soft probes that are inserted into the draining cavity or wound are sometimes required.

How is it produced?

You already know what drainage is. However, not everyone knows how this procedure is carried out. It should be noted that the methods of conducting it are always different and depend on the type of wound formed and the device used. Thus, for the treatment of deep and large wounds, draining with gauze tampons is used. To do this, a square piece of gauze is injected into the purulent cavity, which is sewn with a silk thread in the center. Her carefully straightened, and then cover all the walls and the bottom of the wound. Further, the cavity is loosely tamponized with gauze tampons, previously soaked in a hypertonic sodium chloride solution. In this case, they are recommended to be changed every 4-6 hours, in order to prevent damage to the tissue. In the end, gauze should be removed from the wound by pulling the silk thread.

Other ways of drainage

It should be specially noted that gauze tampons and rubber graduates are used quite rarely to treat purulent cavities. For example, the last device has no suction properties at all. It is clogged with detritus and pus, covered with mucus, thereby causing inflammation in surrounding tissues.

Thus, in order to conduct the correct drainage of purulent wounds, specialists began to use special tubular devices. They can be single and multiple, double, complex, etc.

Drainage after surgery (surgical wounds) involves the use of tubes of silicone. Due to their elastic-elastic properties, transparency and hardness, they occupy an intermediate position between polyvinyl chloride and latex devices. Moreover, they significantly exceed them in terms of biological inertness. This fact allows to increase the time of the drainage stay in the postoperative wounds. It should also be noted that they can be repeatedly sterilized by hot air and autoclaving.

Requirements for drainage

This process should be carried out in compliance with all the prescribed rules, namely:

1. Careful compliance with the rules of asepsis. This includes the replacement or removal of drainage, especially if inflammatory changes occur around the wound. It should be specially noted that the possibility of penetration of the infection into the cavity is reduced exactly by two times, if during the day the used agent is replaced with a sterile one.
2. Drainage of cavities and purulent wounds should ensure the outflow of fluid during the entire period of therapy. After all, the loss of the funds used can cause serious complications that weigh heavily on the outcome of the operation. Prevention of this situation is achieved by carefully fixing the drainage bandage, the outer cover, silk seam, leukoplast or rubber sleeve, which is put on the drainage tube.
3. The drainage system must never be bent or squashed. And the drainage should be located optimally. In other words, the outflow of fluid should not be carried out only by giving the patient a certain position in the bed.
4. The drainage should not be the cause of any complications (damage to large vessels and tissues, pain, etc.).