What are these called?

[michael79]

My co-worker was caring for a patient and asked a bunch of us what these sutures on a patient were called. They are thick, red, and look rubbery. They were in a midline incision, with staples present. None of us could remember. Any ideas?

[MidnightAzalea]

Retention sutures?

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

Gotta be :) Does it look like a red rubber catheter cut in segments, and holding the gut together like shoe laces? If so- retention sutures

[michael79]

That's exactly what it looks like! Retention sutures is what one nurse said, but we googled it and couldn't find any images.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

They're too ugly to photograph And they don't always "retain"..... I've seen someone partially pop open even with them- so if it's a big patient, who coughs like one of the Three Wolves, hoping to blow the house down, keep an eye on them, and be sure they splint w/coughing :)

[ebear, BSN, RN]

Retention sutures commonly called "bumpers."

[vanburbian]

http://www.openabdomen.org/cases/study.cfm?casID=57

[elthia]

Retention sutures?

Gotta be :) Does it look like a red rubber catheter cut in segments, and holding the gut together like shoe laces? If so- retention sutures

Retention sutures commonly called "bumpers."

Everyone beat me to it...

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

Most likely retention bolsters, but we've also used vessel loops over wound vac sponges, stapled in place. We called it a "Jacobs ladder".

[umcRN, BSN, RN]

http://www.openabdomen.org/cases/study.cfm?casID=57

:barf01:

blech! I have seen some pretty gnarly things on babies & kiddos - babies with all their guts hanging in a bag for the world to watch and hope it reperfuses, babies with their chests open and suspended from what can only be described as fishhooks...but adult stuff...eek! no thank you! haha

[beast master RN]

i no exactly what your talking about was doing some body leg dressing and she had five quarter sized open areas with those snaked through , nobody knew what for or what they were called tho. retention sutures sounds goods though

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

http://www.openabdomen.org/cases/study.cfm?casID=57

This was so interesting! Thank you for sharing!