Clinical Study Of Drainage Tube Removal Time After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty

Objective To study the effect on drainage tube on wound healing and onamount of drainage within diverse removal time for drainage tube afterprimary total knee arthroplasty and correlation between removal time fordrainage tube and incision infection; to probe into the optimum extubationtime after the surgery.Mehtod90patients who were admitted to the hospital from November,2011to June,2012were chosen for the study. These patients with arthritisof knee joints will undergo TKA. The patients were randomly divided intothree groups according to extubation time after24,48and72hours afteroperation, with30patients for each group. Routine blood examinationwere carried out before surgery as well as24,48and72hours after surgery;the data of hemoglobin, hematocrit, postoperative blood transfusion,bacterial culture and postoperative wound healing were recorded andstatistically analyzed.Results1. The amount of drainage: the mean value being298.74±135.82ml,after24hours of drainage;387.13±182.28ml after48hours of drangageand497.13±214.68ml after72hours of drainage; For48hours and72 hours group, the first24hours of total drainage being76.65%and68.60%respectively.2.Bacterial culture: No bacteria were discovered for24hours group;2cases were discovered with positive bacteria of Staphylococcusepidermidis for48hours group and3cases were discovered with positivebacteria of Staphylococcus epidermidis for72hours group, there is nodistinct difference within the groups with P=0.061.3.Wound healing:90patients were well healed without any formationof hematoma in joint cavity; drainage of incision leakage was found in3cases of24hours group after two to three days the removal of tube; thesymptom disappeared after1-2days of medical treatment;48hour grouphad4cases, and72hours in6cases of drainage of leakage, the symptomsdisappear after treatment, there was no significant difference is comparedbetween three groups P=0.0787.Conclusion Under the condition of maintain patency of the drainagetube after total knee arthroplasty, articular cavity flow has reached itsmaximum in24hours, has reached to prevent incision hematoma, reduceincision delayed healing, postoperative continue to prolong drainage timewill increase the opportunity of postoperative infection. therefore, pull outthe tube within24hours is more appropriate.