Irrigation and Drainage Supplies

Pleurx Drainage Kit

What Are Pleural Effusions?

When excess fluid builds up around the lungs this is called a pleural effusion. Pleura are a thin membrane that covers your lungs as well as the inside of your chest cavity and the effusion is when liquid accumulates between these two layers. In normal conditions there is only a small amount of fluid that allows the lungs to move during normal breathing.

Causes of this type of fluid buildup can range from leakage from other organs to cancer to infections such as pneumonia or tuberculosis. Sometimes you may not experience any symptoms if the effusion is small, but if they get larger you may feel chest pains (especially during inhalation) or shortness of breath. When fluid gets into the peritoneal cavity, this is known as an ascites. As cancer.net points out, when this is caused by cancer it is called a malignant ascites. Liver or kidney disease can also be a cause as well as blood clots and heart disease.

How Does It Work?

Understanding the anatomy of how something works can be important in making sure you are using it properly. The Denver Pleurx drainage kit is specifically designed to make home drainage easy. Included in your drainage kit is a folded blue package that contains the sterile items you will need to train your fluid in a sanitary manner. Included is a pair of sterile gloves, gauze, and alcohol wipes. Since these items are sterile, you should take care not to touch them unnecessarily. Also included is an emergency clamp that should only be used to close the catheter if it has been cut or damaged. This system includes an indwelling catheter which drains fluid quickly into a vacuum bottle so it can be placed just about anywhere for convenience. The drainage line uses a safety valve that is opened on the access tip and once the clamp is released, fluid is withdrawn from the pleural cavity into the bottle.

Denver Pleurx Vacuum Bottle With Drainage Line	Denver Pleurx Drainage Kit

This draining is typically requires 3-5 minutes to achieve. Your doctor will determine whether or not you should do this draining every one or two days. During your drainage program, fluid that is drained from your pleural cavity may diminish or stop altogether. If this happens you should gently squeeze the catheter and drainage line. If this does not begin any drainage you can try switching to another bottle. If this second bottle does not achieve drainage, contact your doctor since this may be an indication that the catheter possibly can be withdrawn. Care should be taken to keep the catheter area clean since an infected catheter can produce symptoms such as pain, redness, swelling, fever or warmth to touch, or even fluid from around the catheter site. If your catheter should pull out the area should be covered immediately with sterile gauze and medical attention should be sought immediately.

 

Being able to handle any of your medical needs at home is always more comforting and convenient no matter what the treatment. You can avoid multiple trips to the doctor or hospital by using the Denver Pleurxdrainage kit in the comfort of your own home. Your doctor or nurse can easily train you in how to use the device at home and be able to identify any negative side effects that may develop during drainage therapy.

 

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