Patients’ Perceptions of Experiences of Postoperative Chest Drain Tube Insertion: A Pilot Survey

Agnieszka Kruk, Robert Dziedzic, Sylwia Terech-Skóra, Renata Piotrkowska () and Wioletta Mędrzycka-Dąbrowska
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Agnieszka Kruk: Department of Surgical Nursing, Medical University of Gdansk, Dębinki 7, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
Robert Dziedzic: Thoracic Surgery Department, Medical University of Gdansk, Smoluchowskiego 17, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
Sylwia Terech-Skóra: Department of Surgical Nursing, Medical University of Gdansk, Dębinki 7, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
Renata Piotrkowska: Department of Surgical Nursing, Medical University of Gdansk, Dębinki 7, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
Wioletta Mędrzycka-Dąbrowska: Department of Anaesthesiology Nursing and Intensive Care, Medical University of Gdansk, Dębinki 7, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-11

Abstract: Background: Pleural drainage is a routine procedure conducted after thoracotomy and thoracoscopy. It is used to remove air or excess fluid from a pleural cavity and enables proper lung expansion. Essential elements of care provided during hospitalization and treatment include meeting patients’ growing expectations and continually improving quality while optimizing safety. Aim: This study aimed to explore patients’ experiences with pleural drainage after thoracic surgery and their correlation with socio-demographic data. Methods: A pilot survey with an exploratory design was conducted at a large teaching hospital in Poland, in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the University Clinical Centre in Gdansk. The study involved the analysis of 100 randomly selected subjects with a chest tube drain. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect social, demographic, and clinical data. Twenty-three questions related to experiences with pleural drainage, ailments, limitations in daily functioning, and security with a chest tube were evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale. Patients completed the questionnaire on the third postoperative day. Results: Individuals fitted with a traditional water-seal drainage system felt safer than those from the digital drainage group ( p = 0.017). Statistically significant differences were found in the assessment of nursing assistance ( p = 0.025); the number of satisfied patients was greater in a group of unemployed people. No correlation was found between demographic and social factors and the patients’ sense of security (gender: p = 0.348, age: p = 0.172, education level: p = 0.154, professional activity: p = 0.665). Conclusions: Demographic and social characteristics did not significantly affect patients’ sense of safety with chest drainage types. Patients with traditional drainage felt significantly safer than patients with digital drainage. Patient knowledge of pleural drainage management was not satisfactory, with a number of patients indicating a lack of knowledge in this area. This is important information that should be considered when planning measures to improve the quality of care.

Keywords: drainage; thoracic surgery; patient safety; patient knowledge (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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