Monitoring the output from surgical drains is an important part of post-operative care and is often undertaken poorly. Failure to have accurate documentation of daily outputs may delay the removal of drains and increase the risk of complications. Following discussions with medical and nursing staff we listed eight key criteria that should be routinely monitored for surgical drains. A baseline m...

Most nurses working in an acute hospital setting will encounter patients with chest drains and underwater seal drainage at some point in their careers. This article is primarily written for the non-specialist nurse who requires a good working knowledge of chest drain insertion and underwater seal drainage. The article discusses the indications for chest drain insertion and the merits of differe...

Cardiac tamponade is a rare but serious emergency condition in the pediatric population. As treatment, a pericardial drain is often placed to evacuate the fluid. We present a case of a 4-year-old girl with cardiac tamponade secondary to renal failure. After the tamponade resolved, she suffered cardiovascular collapse upon attempted drain withdrawal. This case highlights an unusual cause for car...