Healthcare Basics

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  • QShould my stitches be kept dry after surgery?
    1 Answer
    A
    Dr. Arthur W. Perry, MD - Franklin Park, NJ - Plastic Surgery
    A , Plastic Surgery, answered
    The old myth that stitches should be kept dry arose in the days when silk sutures were used. When surgeons switched from braided silk to single strand nylon material in the 1970s, they should have realized that wounds could now get wet after surgery. But it wasn't until the late Joel Noe, M.D., published a simple but landmark study in 1988 that the instructions changed. Noe showed that there was no difference in the infection rate or quality of the scar if the wounds were allowed to get wet.

    Find out more about this book:

    Straight Talk about Cosmetic Surgery (Yale University Press Health & Wellness)
    Buy book
  • QHow are surgical instruments different for pediatric surgery?
    1 Answer
    A
    Dr. Kelly A. Kogut, MD - Las Vegas, NV - Pediatric Surgery
    A Pediatric Surgery, answered on behalf of
    How Are Pediatric Surgical Instruments Different from Regular Surgical Instruments?
    The instruments used in pediatrics are smaller and can operate in a smaller space, says Kelly Kogut, MD, in pediatric general surgery at Sunrise Children's Hospital. Learn more in this video.
  • QHow should I empty a Jackson-Pratt wound drain?
    1 Answer
    A
    Dr. Francis X. Downey, MD - Milwaukee, WI - Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular)
    A Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular), answered on behalf of

    To empty your Jackson-Pratt wound drain:

    1. Wash your hands.

    2. Remove the stopper from the bulb.

    3. Turn the bulb upside down over the measuring cup provided by your nurse.

    4. Squeeze the contents into the cup.

    5. While the bulb is still squeezed, replace the stopper.

    6. Measure and flush the drainage down the toilet.

    7. Wash your hands.

    8. Record the amount of drainage on a chart. Each day, add the total drainage for 24 hours. Bring this information with you to your next follow-up appointment.

  • QWhat is a Jackson Pratt drain?
    1 Answer
    A
    Betty Long, RN, MHA - Bala Cynwyd, PA - Nursing
    A , Nursing, answered

    A Jackson-Pratt drain (or JP drain) is made of a clear, thin rubber tube (which is typically inserted inside your body after a surgery or a procedure) inserted into a clear, soft, round squeeze bulb with a removable stopper (which sits outside your body and whose contents are emptied regularly).

    The JP drain is used to passively remove fluid that can collect inside your body after surgery, infection, or injury. 

    The National Institutes of Health offer an easy to read document on how to care for the drain.  Here is a link.   

    http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/patient_education/pepubs/jp.pdf

     

  • QWhat is a condom catheter?
    1 Answer
    A
    Dr. Anthony L. Komaroff, MD - Boston, MA - Internal Medicine
    A , Internal Medicine, answered
    A condom catheter is a soft sheath made of silicone or latex that fits over the penis like a regular condom, except that it attaches to a drain tube leading to a urine collection bag, usually worn on the leg. Some condom catheters are self-adhesive; others must be strapped on, held in place with a jock strap, or taped on with adhesive strips. Some are reusable, and others, disposable.

    The major concern in using a condom catheter is protecting your skin. Usually, you should clean and dry your penis and apply a moisture-protective cream before attaching a new condom catheter. Some men develop a sensitivity to latex and should choose a silicone catheter.
  • QWhy do so many people use urinary catheters?
    1 Answer
    A
    Dr. Michael H. Safir, MD - Sherman Oaks, CA - Urology
    A Urology, answered on behalf of
    day1-west-hills-safir-7
    Many patients have neurological conditions that preclude their ability to empty the bladder the normal way, requiring a catheter. In this video, urologist Michael Safir, MD, of West Hills Hospital, explains the need to use a urinary catheter.
  • QWhat is a Solitaire catheter?
    1 Answer
    A
    TriStar Skyline Medical Center
    A answered
    When a blood clot forms in the brain it causes a stroke, and areas of the brain that control speech, movement or memory can be permanently damaged. This can be treated with a device called a Solitaire catheter. When the catheter goes in it actually expands the whole size of the clot. When it opens up, it pushes away the clot. The blood flow is immediately restored to the brain, and the whole clot then becomes removed.

    Around 1.6 million brain cells can die every minute they are without blood during a stroke. That's why it's so important to treat it quickly. The Solitaire catheter can restore blood flow rapidly, and a person who would normally have severe disability or potentially have died due to a stroke is able to walk out of hospital with virtually no disabilities.
  • QWhat is intermittent self-catheterization?
    1 Answer
    A
    Donna Hill Howes, RN - San Francisco, CA - Family Medicine
    A , Family Medicine, answered
    With intermittent self-catheterization, you insert a catheter (tube) through your own urethra into your bladder to drain urine. The urethra is the tube through which urine leaves the body. Intermittent self-catheterization is considered a safe procedure. It can completely empty the bladder of urine.
  • QWhat is a Foley catheter?
    2 Answers
    A
    Columbia University Department of Surgery
    A answered
    A Foley catheter drains urine from the bladder. The catheter is inserted through the urethra.
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  • QWhat is a catheter?
    2 Answers
    A
    Dr. John A. Chabot - New York, NY - Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism
    A Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism, answered on behalf of

    A catheter is a tube that is inserted in a body cavity, duct, or vessel. Catheters allow for drainage, injection of fluids, or access by surgical instruments.

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