Call your doctor or nurse if any of the

following symptoms occur:

Drop in blood pressure
Shortness of breath or chest pain often to
one side (signs of pneumothorax)
8.
9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

Clean around the opening of

catheter with an alcohol wipe.
Pick up the access line and insert
the tip into the catheter. You should
hear a click when they are
securely connected.
Look at your drainage bottle. At the
neck of the bottle, remove the white
port clip (which ensures suction is
not initiated until necessary).
Puncture the bottle with the T
plunger of the access line. This
breaks the seal of the bottle so
draining can begin.
Open your clamp to your access line
to begin draining. Draining only
takes about 5-15 minutes!
When draining is complete, clamp
your access line. Disconnect your
access line from your catheter,
clean your catheter with an alcohol
wipe, and twist on your new cap.
Now you need to change your
dressing. Clean around your site
with an alcohol wipe. Place the
foam slit dressing on the skin, wind
the catheter on top of it, and put
gauze over the catheter.
Apply sticky adhesive dressing over
the gauze and smooth over.

Coughing up blood or difficulty breathing

when lying flat (signs of pulmonary edema)

Temperature above 100.4F, redness,

swelling, or foul smell from catheter site
(signs of infection)

Remember:

Record each drainage amount and

color.
Drain every 1-2 days.
References

Carefusion Cooperation. (2014). PleurX

catheter system catalog. Retrieved from:
http://www.carefusion.com/medicalproducts/interventionalprocedures/drainage/pleurx/nurses/

CARING FOR
YOUR PLEURX
CATHETER

CARING FOR YOUR PLEURX

CATHETER
2800 Main Street
Bridgeport, CT 06606

St. Vincents College

Before discharge

Your doctor and nurse will guide

you through draining with the
PleurX system, so you may be
prepared to perform care when you
are home.

Take control of your own care!

The PleurX catheter is inserted in the chest for draining. It

is then covered by a protective dressing while not in use.

The draining process (14 steps):

1.

Your PleurX kit will come with:

Why use a PleurX

system?

The PleurX drainage system lets you

take control by managing the
uncomfortable symptoms of pleural
effusions. Fluid draining may be
done on your time and when youre
feeling discomfort!
This device is used in the comfort of
your own home, therefore reducing
trips to your doctor or hospital for
thoracentesis.
The end of the catheter stays
outside of your body, covered by a
thin dressing, therefore nobody can
see the device under clothing.
Nobody has to know that you are
using the PleurX system!
You may shower with the catheter,
as long as a dressing is securely over
the site.

Sterile gloves
Blue sterile wrapping (this will be
your work space)
New valve cap
Alcohol wipes
Clean dressings
Blue clamp (this should be used if
your PleurX catheter is
malfunctioning. Clamp system with
this device and call your doctor!)
500mL and 1000mL bottle with
attached vacuum for suction

2.

3.

4.

5.

Before draining remember:

This procedure is sterile.

Draining may hurt the first few
times. If the pain does not subside,
or gets worse, call your doctor!
Never drain more than 1000mL at a
time.

6.

7.

Make sure you have a clean work

space, and wash your hands!
Remove your dressing and check
out your skin around the catheter. If
there is any redness or swelling, call
your doctor!
Open your packaging and remove
your blue wrapping, setting it on
your surface for your work space.
Remember: this is your sterile field!
Everything else in the kit is sterile so
do not touch without gloves!
Set your 500 or 1000mL bottle to
the side, and the access tip on the
blue wrapping.
Open your gloves and put them on.
You may then open your alcohol
wipes, and your valve cap and set
them on the blue wrapping.
Close the white clamp on your
access line (attached to the drainage
bottles). You may then take off the
access line tip and set it down.
Remove the catheter cap (line that is
attached to your body)