Drainage in medicine: what it is, how and for what it is used
What is drainage? You will find the answer to this question in the materials of this article. In addition, we will tell you about how this method is implemented in 
medical practice and what it is needed for.
General information
Drainage in medicine is a curative method that involves draining out the contents of wounds, hollow organs, abscesses, and pathological or natural body cavities.
Full and correct drainage is able to provide a 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 indisputable 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 for
To make effective drainage( in medicine), specialists determine its character, choose the optimal way of drainage for each case, as well as 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.
What is it used for?
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 drained 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 for carrying it out are always different and depend on the type of wound formed and the device used. So, 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. It is 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 rarely used to treat purulent cavities. For example, the last device does not have any 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.
Draining 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 makes it possible to increase the length of stay of drains in postoperative wounds. It should also be noted that they can be repeatedly sterilized by hot air and autoclaving.
Draining requirements for
This process must be carried out in compliance with all prescribed rules, namely:
- Careful compliance with asepsis rules. This includes the replacement or removal of drainage, especially if inflammation changes around the wound. It should be specially noted that the possibility of penetration of the infection into the cavity decreases exactly twice, if during the day the used agent is replaced with a sterile one.
- Drainage of cavities and purulent wounds should ensure the outflow of fluid during the entire period of therapy. After all, the loss of the used remedies can lead to the appearance of serious complications, which weigh down the outcome of the operation. Prevention of this situation is achieved by carefully fixing the drainage bandage, the outer cover, silk suture, leykoplastom or rubber sleeve, which is put on the drainage tube.
- 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.
- Exercise drainage should not cause any complications( damage to large vessels and tissues, pain, etc.).