MLD

the quantity to be administered at one time, as a specified amount of medication or a given quantity of radiation.

The flow or withdrawal of fluids, such as blood, infused saline, pus, and collected debris, from a cavity, organ, surgical site, or wound. See: autodrainage; drain

Drainage in which negative pressure is maintained in the drainage tube. It is used in treating pneumothorax and in certain types of drains or catheters in the intestinal tract, body cavity, or surgical wound. Synonym: negative pressure drainage; suction drainage. See: Wound Drainage Systems: Negative Pressure

A diaphragmatic breathing pattern used by patients with respiratory illnesses (e.g., cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis) to clear the lungs of mucus and other secretions. Various techniques are used, all of which combine positive reinforcement of deep breathing and voluntary cough suppression for as long as possible before evacuating the airways of mucus.

Drainage by means of capillary attraction.

Placement of a drainage tube in the chest cavity, usually in the pleural space. The tube is used to drain air, fluid, or blood from the pleural space so the compressed and collapsed lung can expand. The tube is connected to a system that produces suction. This helps to remove the material from the pleural space and also prevents air from being sucked into the space.

Drainage of a wound or body space into a self-contained, sealed collecting system.

A sterile tube draining a body site, such as the abdominal cavity or pleural space, that is designed to prevent the entry of air and bacteria into the tubing or the area being drained.

Gentle massage techniques used to correct localized lymphedema, e.g., in patients who have swelling of an arm after mastectomy with lymph node dissection. The therapist assists lymphatic flow from the extremity toward the heart. Synonym: lymphatic drainage

Drainage of a wound or body cavity using absorbent materials or catheters that are in contact with the ambient conditions outside the patient.

A passive airway clearance technique in which patients are positioned so that gravity will assist the removal of secretions from specific lobes of the lung, bronchi, or lung cavities. It can be used for patients with pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, inhaled foreign bodies, before surgery for lobectomy, or in any patient having difficulty with retained secretions. A side effect of the treatment in some patients is gastroesophageal reflux. See: illustration

Patient care

Physical tolerance to the procedure is evaluated. The respiratory therapist teaches and assists the patient in the procedure, as ordered, by positioning the patient for effective drainage of the affected lung region(s). The patient is encouraged to remove secretions with an effective cough. To decrease the risk of aspiration, the patient should not perform the procedure after meals. Chest vibration and percussion are often performed at the same time to assist movement of retained secretions in the lung.

Irrigation and drainage of a cavity or an organ such as the bladder by placing two perforated tubes, drains, or catheters in the area. A solution is instilled through one catheter, and the other tube collects the returned fluid actively (by suction) or passively.

A method, controlled mechanically, of filling the bladder with solution by gravity and periodically emptying the bladder with a catheter. It is usually used when the patient lacks bladder control as in injuries or lesions of the spinal cord.

Gentle massage techniques used to correct localized lymphedema, e.g., in patients who have swelling of an arm after mastectomy with lymph node dissection. The therapist assists lymphatic flow from the extremity toward the heart. Synonym: lymphatic drainage

See also: drainage