Increased Drainage

[trainman]

Last Wednesday, December 10, I had surgery to close a pressure sore. The doc said he "loosened" the skin in the area and stitched it together. Other than to get home after the procedure, I have been on complete bed rest and will be except for family Christmas parties he's allowing me to go to.

I have a Jackson Pratt drain connected by the incision that has been steadily decreasing in amount collected and now gets next to nothing. However, starting Sunday morning, the wound/surgical site itself started draining about 20-30 cc a day, soaking my pants and sheets without a pad.

This is about my 18th surgery for a pressure sore and first with this type of drainage. My legs have been very spastic since surgery and have managed to removed nearly three stitches already. Every evening I feel slightly overheated and am running a low grade temp.

The doctor isn't concerned, but wants the JP in until Friday despite little collection. The wound was in my right groin with stitches now going 13cm over, nearly to my left leg, with drainage the entire width. I'm not allowed to do PROM on my right hip, so that leg is getting minimal exercise.

So, does anyone have experience on what could be the cause of the increase? Also, any clues to help spasticity would help. I'm on 80mg of Baclofen already and my assistants do as much PROM on my legs as they can. My legs have quite a bit of strength to them, I've pulled out staples before, so stitches will likely continue to pop if I can't get them calmed down.

Thanks for any tips, after 23 years of SCI I still find new things to do.

[SCI-Nurse]

is the tubing to the JP drain clogged? try milking it if it is.Some wounds do have more drainage but the thought is always possible infection. Are you on any antibiotics?

CWO

[madmaddmother]

Sending prayers your way...rest...

[trainman]

Everything we can see of the tubing looks to be fine. I was started on an antibiotic after surgery and will be taking it through the 19th. With the overheating in a comfortable room, 72 degrees, and feeling like mild AD, I'm wondering about infection as well. Everything looks and smells normal, so I don't know how to look without a blood test.

[skippy13]

I hope you get to feeling better soon. I like your new picture.

[Kimmel21]

i went through hell for about a month with real bad pressure sores on my rump, i hope everything turns out ok for you

[noryn]

Are you taking pain medication?

[trainman]

I can only feel my head, and was fully awake during surgery, so no pain meds.

[noryn]

I know you cannot feel the pain but you can still develop AD from the pain so that is why I asked. Did they not give you anything during the procedure?

Maybe the SCI nurses will chime in.

[trainman]

They gave me something to calm my spasms during surgery, but that was it. The anesthesiologist had to keep increasing it as well as my legs continued to jump.