[Pain when removing a silicon Blake drain].
OBJECTIVES: A prospective analysis of pain intensity and related factors observed when removing a Blake suction drain after head and neck surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An inception cohort of 100 patients managed at a single institution (university teaching and tertiary referral center), by 10 surgeons, during the months of March-July 2004. Two different scales were used to evaluate pain (see and ). The variables under analysis were: age, gender, comorbidity, overall pain and psychological status, anti-pain treatment, type of disease (benign vs malignant), type of surgery performed, location of the drain, number of drains removed and delay from surgery. RESULTS: No complications were noted at the time of drain removal. The volume drained varied from 10 to 450 cc (mean value 90 cc). At the time of drain removal no pain was noted in 50% to 60% of patients according to the scale used. Minimal pain and strong pain were noted in 45% - 36% and 5% - 4% of patients, respectively. Among the variables under analysis, the age of the patient was the only variable significantly related to the intensity of pain noted at the time of removal of the drain whatewer scale was used for analysis. Pain was statistically more pronounced as age declined (p=0.011 and p=0.04 according to the scales used). CONCLUSION: At our department, due to its very good drainage ability, its facility of use and the very low intensity of pain noted at the time of removal, the Blake drain has replaced the time honoured Redon-Jost drain conventionally used after head and neck surgery.