Drainage of the Abdomen

IN all walks of life drains are used to lead away unwanted material. Drainage of the abdomen is no exception. The material may have collected before operation, as in an intra-abdominal abscess. In these circumstances a drain is used therapeutically to ensure that the pus is all evacuated and to prevent closure of the drainage hole while the cavity is still large enough to produce more pus, which might reaccumulate. There is fairly general agreement on the use of drains in this therapeutic sense.When the drain is used prophylactically no such agreement exists. After certain procedures fluid may gather . . .