Good question Simon, even large drains clot from time to time, and you've just got to be wary of that, and be prepared to flush them from time to time. Are smaller drains any more likely to clot off? Who knows, but I can see a bestbet coming on...
Adrian Fogarty
> from: "s.carley" <[log in to unmask]>
> date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 08:40:31
> to: [log in to unmask]
> subject: Re: chest drains - how big??
>
> Standard teaching for chest drains in trauma is "big is best". In the past
> this has been determined by 2 factors.
>
> 1. The concept that bigger drains are less likely to get blocked.
> 2. You put your finger in during the insertion procedure therefore you may
> as well put something in as big as your finger since that is how big the
> hole now is!
>
> We have recently started using the seldinger chest drains (Cook) which have
> been discussed on the list previously (and I like them a lot).
>
> However, it has taken away reason 2 for putting a big drain in. So how big
> does a drain REALLY need to be to drain blood and air in trauma????
>
> Simon
>
> NB. We use smaller drains in kids - though because it is rare I am unaware
> if they do block off all the time.
>
> Simon Carley
> SpR in Emergency Medicine
> [log in to unmask]
> Evidence based emergency medicine
> http://www.bestbets.org
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