ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to determine if chest tubes that are not milked or stripped occlude more frequently than milked or stripped tubes, and if the amount of drainage varies according to the treatment of the tubes. Following coronary artery bypass graft procedures, 49 male subjects had their chest tubes milked every 2 hours, had them stripped every 2 hours, or served as controls (i.e., their tubes were neither milked nor stripped). An analysis of variance was applied to the results. There was no significant difference in total drainage volume, hourly zero drainage, heart rate, or occurrence of arrhythmias among the three groups of subjects. Four to 16 hours postoperatively, a significantly higher volume of drainage occurred in the subjects whose chest tubes had been stripped. Stripping is particularly discouraged during this interval. The chest tubes remained patent with or without milking or stripping. We conclude that neither milking nor stripping is necessary for the proper care of chest tubes. We recommend that tubes be positioned such that they promote continuous drainage.
Subject(s)
Drainage/methods , Intubation/methods , Aged , Analysis of Variance , Coronary Artery Bypass , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Humans , Male , Mediastinum , Middle Aged , Pleura , Postoperative Care , Time FactorsABSTRACT
A study was conducted to determine the effect of oxygen inhalation by nasal cannula on oral temperatures. One hundred healthy adult subjects were randomly assigned to a control and to three experimental groups that received 2, 4, and 6 liters per minute of oxygen for 30 minutes. Oral temperatures were measured before and 30 minutes after oxygen treatment. The data analysis did not show any significant effect of the treatment. This study encourages review of the common empirical practice of changing temperature sites from the preferred oral to the less acceptable rectal or axillary sites in patients receiving oxygen inhalation treatments.
