Safer care for enhanced recovery

Thopaz+ Digital Chest Drainage and Monitoring System

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Thopaz+ provides safer care for enhanced recovery - after cardiac surgery as well!

  • ERAS guidelines after cardiac surgery recommend an early mobilization of the patient.9
  • Early postoperative mobilization has been shown to be an essential element to prevent postoperative complications, enhance functional capacity, and shorten the length of hospital stay.10

9 Engelman DT, Walid BA, Judson BW et al. JAMA Surg 2019;154(8):755-766.

10 Ramos Dos Santos PM, Ricci NA, Suster ÉAB, et al. Effects of early mobilisation in patients after cardiac surgery: a systematic review. Physiotherapy 2017;103:1-12.

  • Thopaz+ facilitates postoperative mobility, including the immediate postoperative transfer to ICU, one of the most vulnerable phases after cardiac surgery.3
  • Thopaz+ is lightweight, compact, battery-operated and comes with its own docking station.
  • The integrated suction source means patients are independent of wall suction and can be transported and ambulated with ease whilst efficient drainage takes place.

3 Saha S, Hofmann S, Jebran AF, et al. Safety and efficacy of digital chest drainage units compared to conventional chest drainage units in cardiac surgery. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2020;31(1):42-47.

Mobilize your patients as early as possible

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  • In a publication, chest tubes were removed on average on day 1.4 (range: 1 to 7) after cardiac surgery.
  • 292 patients (nearly 30%) had their chest tubes retained after postoperative day 1.
  • The most common reason for retention was high output, followed by air leak, pneumothorax, critical condition, and pleural effusion.
  • Although the rates may vary from hospital to hospital, the detection of chest tube complications requires attentive and knowledgeable ICU staff11.

11 McCormick JT, O’Mara MS, Papasavas PK, et al. The Use of Routine Chest X-ray Films After Chest Tube Removal in Postoperative Cardiac Patients. Ann Thorac Surg  2002;74(6):2161–4.

 

  • Digital drainage using Thopaz+ provides objective information to determine the need for re-exploration or chest tube removal. This ensures better inter-observer communication.
  • Although relatively rare, the digital recording of air leaks is of major importance and can guide the therapy and save cost and time for performing serial chest X‐rays.6
  • In a recent publication, the incidence of chest X-rays to detect air leaks could be significantly reduced, when  patients were treated with the digital chest drainage system.5
  • Within the group of patients receiving digital chest drainage, a lower proportion of re-thoracotomies due to tamponade/bleeding was also observed.5

6 Barozzi L, Biagio LS, Meneguzzi M, et al. Novel, digital, chest drainage system in cardiac surgery. J Card Surg. 2020;1–6.

5 Van Linden A, Hecker F, Courvoisier DS, et al. Reduction of drainage-associated complications in cardiac surgery with a digital drainage system: a randomized controlled trial. J Thorac Dis 2019;11(12):5177-5186.

Ensure continuous therapy for your patients now

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  • It is critical to have a modern and functioning chest tube drainage system.
  • Wall suction in hospitals can interrupt steady drainage and may leave patients without controlled chest tube drainage for extended periods, for example, during transportation from the OR to the ICU.
  • This puts patients at risk for developing cardiac tamponade, pneumothorax and/or excessive bleeding after cardiac surgery.
  • Thopaz+ can be connected directly in the OR. This facilitates postoperative mobility, especially during the immediate postoperative transfer to ICU, one of the most vulnerable phases after cardiac surgery, when adequate drainage of blood is especially important3.
  • Thopaz+ is a chest drain management solution that efficiently drains the chest cavity after cardiac surgery and is proven to lead to a decreased incidence of drainage associated complications5.
  • Important features of the system include: easy set-up, portable size, autonomous battery operation for mobility of the patient, noiseless function and digital indications and alarms.
  • Many centers keep patients under ICU conditions until chest tube removal. Using a Thopaz+ patients can be transferred to the ward with chest tubes. Wall suction is no longer required6.

3 Saha S, Hofmann S, Jebran AF, et al. Safety and efficacy of digital chest drainage units compared to conventional chest drainage units in cardiac surgery. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2020;31(1):42-47.

5 Van Linden A, Hecker F, Courvoisier DS, et al. Reduction of drainage-associated complications in cardiac surgery with a digital drainage system: a randomized controlled trial. J Thorac Dis 2019;11(12):5177-5186.

6 Barozzi L, Biagio LS, Meneguzzi M, et al. Novel, digital, chest drainage system in cardiac surgery. J Card Surg. 2020;1–6.

Provide safer care after cardiac surgery

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dont_blame_the_icu_nurses
  • Many ICU nurses have to deal with increasing complexity in clinical caseloads and see themselves as solely responsible for delivering high-quality, in-depth care.12
  • Although human factors engineering has been used to make products on the ICU less prone to mistakes, some products are still subject to interpretation and regular inspection.
  • Underwater seal chest drainage units require large efforts to control correct suction, placement, and monitor air leak or fluid loss.
  • It is easy to miss an adverse situation that could lead to a deterioration of a patient’s condition, and many nurses blame themselves.

12 Sanchez M, Simon A, Ford D. PTSD in Tx ICU Nurses. J Heart Lung Transplant 2019;38(4):93–4

Thopaz+ reduces human error
  • Thopaz+ provides objective information to determine the need for re-exploration or chest tube removal
  • Its portable size, autonomous battery operation for mobility of the patient, noiseless function, digital indications and alarms make Thopaz+ easy to use.
  • The alarms implemented on the Thopaz+ system (tube occlusion, massive air leakage, massive fluid leakage, canister full, clogged filter, low battery) can be life‐saving for the patient3,6.
  • The digital data display shows continuous, real-time readings, historical air leak and fluid data are displayed in a readable manner. This reduces inter-observer variability in the assessment of these indicators and facilitates the monitoring of patients’ progress across departments.

3 Saha S, Hofmann S, Jebran AF, et al. Safety and efficacy of digital chest drainage units compared to conventional chest drainage units in cardiac surgery. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2020;31(1):42-47.

6 Barozzi L, Biagio LS, Meneguzzi M, et al. Novel, digital, chest drainage system in cardiac surgery. J Card Surg. 2020;1–6.

Reduce misunderstandings based on subjective observations

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  • Noise is an important factor to consider when treating cardiac patients.
  • Studies show that patient anxiety on the ICU is heightened, and the number of ventricular arrhythmias rose significantly during the “noisy” periods – defined as periods of noise greater than 55 dB(A).13
  • A chest tube bubbling in the ICU may have an intensity of 41–86 dB(A).14
  • For clinical staff, noise may complicate the performance of complex tasks, reduce accuracy and inhibit the capacity to respond to the unexpected.

13 Hsu T, Ryherd E, Waye KP, et al. Noise Pollution in Hospitals: Impact on Patients. JCOM  2012;19(7):301–9.

14 Kam PC, Kam AC, Thompson JF. Noise Pollution in the Anaesthetic and Intensive Care Environment. Anaesthesia 1994; 49(11):982–6.

 

Thopaz+ operates quietly
  • In a recent publication6 the decibel sound level of patients in isolation in the ICU ranged around 35 dB(A) for the Thopaz+ and around 65 dB(A) for the conventional chest drainage system with wall suction
  • In a satisfaction questionnaire comparing an analog and the digital system after cardiac surgery, the use of the Thopaz+ system scored highest for the transport and the noise reduction.1
  • Through the system’s programming, Thopaz+ provides suction only when required to maintain the set pressure.

6 Barozzi L, Biagio LS, Meneguzzi M, et al. Novel, digital, chest drainage system in cardiac surgery. J Card Surg. 2020;1–6.

1 Pereira KMFSM, de Assis CS, Cintra HNWL, et al. Factors Associated With the Increased Bleeding in the Postoperative Period of Cardiac Surgery: A Cohort Study. J Clin Nurs 2019;28(5–6):850–61.

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  • To avoid respiratory tract infections, patients must mobilize early and be involved in coughing and incentive spirometry.
  • For a patient with chest tubes, however, these efforts may prove too painful.
  • To minimize the patient’s pain as much as possible, and to avoid needing a secondary pleural puncture or complex nursing care, a policy of short drainage after cardiac surgery is recommended.15

15 Mueller XM, Tinguely F, Tevaearai HT, et al. Impact of Duration of Chest Tube Drainage on Pain After Cardiac Surgery. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2000;18(5):570–4.

  • The Thopaz+ ensures a quicker drain removal with a reduced median drainage duration of 16 hours (25%).5
  • Early chest‐tube removal favorably impacts on pain and pulmonary function. The use of Thopaz+ could therefore have an impact on the cost especially by reducing the time on ICU.6
  • Thopaz+ improves patient recovery and patient mobility: the sooner the chest drain is removed, the sooner the patient can become mobile.

5 Van Linden A, Hecker F, Courvoisier DS, et al. Reduction of drainage-associated complications in cardiac surgery with a digital drainage system: a randomized controlled trial. J Thorac Dis 2019;11(12):5177-5186.

6 Barozzi L, Biagio LS, Meneguzzi M, et al. Novel, digital, chest drainage system in cardiac surgery. J Card Surg. 2020;1–6.

Learn how Thopaz+ can make a meaningful difference in your practice

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Thopaz+ takes chest drainage therapy to a new level of care

Unlike analogue systems, it reliably regulates the applied pressure at the patient’s chest and digitally (and quietly) monitors critical therapy indicators. Clinical data has demonstrated that Medela’s chest drainage therapy improves outcomes and streamlines the delivery of care.

  • Thopaz+ reduces chest tube duration and length of stay (in hospital).
  • Improves safety for people with chest drains.
  • Improves clinical decision-making through continuous objective monitoring of air leaks and fluid loss.
  • Increases patient mobility.
  • Clinical staff find Thopaz+ more convenient and easier to use than conventional chest drainage systems.
  • Visit our FAQ for more information about safe chest drain management.