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Introduction
Pigtail drain tubes are widely used in Australian hospitals to facilitate the drainage of body fluids such as urine, blood, and bile, when a patient's condition warrants it. Nurses working in settings such as surgical wards should be aware of the anatomy, purpose, care and removal of pigtail drains to reduce the risks of haemorrhage and infection associated with these drains.
It is also imperative health professionals are aware of the safety measures required in the care and safe removal of pigtail drain tubes. This article outlines the care of pigtail drains as adopted by nursing staff at the Western Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria.
Anatomy of a pigtail drain tube
A pigtail drain tube (pigtail) is a type of catheter that has the sole purpose of removing unwanted body fluids from an organ, duct or abscess. Pigtail drains are inserted under strict radiological guidance to ensure correct positioning.
A pigtail is a sterile, thin, long, universal catheter with a locking tip that (once inserted and adjusted by the radiologist) forms a pigtail shape, hence its name. A guide wire is also part of the sterile insertion kit.
The tip of the pigtail has several holes, which facilitate the drainage process. The open end of the catheter has an outlet, which is compatible with an intravenous (IV) luer lock.
The pigtail end is created by gently pulling a string from the exposed end of the catheter. The string is then wrapped around the end of the catheter and kept in place by a rubber stopper. However, this thread-like string is often mistaken for a suture.
The purpose of the pigtail drain
Pigtails are inserted percutaneously (through the skin) by a radiologist. It may be inserted to allow, for example, urine to drain directly from a kidney, if the ureter is diseased or blocked. This is called a nephrostomy.
Other conditions requiring the insertion of a pigtail drain include a blocked bile duct that needs to be drained of bile, or a pusfilled abscess. The type of fluid that drains depends upon the reason for its insertion.
Patients at Western Hospital can safely be discharged home with a pigtail...