Strippers in the ICU!

[Dinith88]

Are any of you still stripping chest-tubes post open-heart? I know the trend has been to discourage it and only 'gently milk' the tubes if needed...then there seemed to be a resurgence of nurses ( at least in a sister hospital of the one i'm employed by...and accepted by the surgeons there) using the 'rollers' more aggresively...more in the style of the 'old way'.

What is your instituations policy regarding this (if any??),

And have any of you ever seen a patient do poorly from over-aggresive stripping?

[azrn22]

We don't strip ct's unless doctor says it's ok. One shouldn't strip as the location of the ct is unknown. I wouldn't want to suck a graft out.

[SEOBowhntr]

We don't strip ct's unless doctor says it's ok. One shouldn't strip as the location of the ct is unknown. I wouldn't want to suck a graft out.

Trust me, you wouldn't suck out a graft!!!!

The grafts are under the pericardial sac, the tube is external to the sac. I don't strip tubes unless there are clots in them, and often time you don't really have to strip much.

[nursechick30]

Our policy is to milk the tubes only, no stripping. If the docs want them stripped, they come do it themselves.

[TennRN2004]

We don't strip ct's unless doctor says it's ok. One shouldn't strip as the location of the ct is unknown. I wouldn't want to suck a graft out.

We also have a policy not to stip our chest tubes. The reason why you do not want to is because the changes in intrathoracic pressure can cause a pneumo. But, which is worse, the pts chest tube clotting off and the pt getting tamponade a 3 am or stripping the tube and taking the chance of a pneumo? We will strip ours if it necessary to prevent the chest tube from clotting off, it's not a general practice, but we do it if the pt situation warrants it. We have not had any patients end up with a pneumo from stripping since I've been in my unit.

[nursemelani]

Wow. I am lost. What is the difference between stripping and milking??

[SFCardiacRN]

Wow. I am lost. What is the difference between stripping and milking?

The potential for a pneomothorax!