Instructions
The CLR products take just seconds to set up and work together seamlessly. Here are some short videos to help get you started.
The Port
The CLR Port stays attached to the chest tube or pigtail catheter, allowing standard drainage and as-needed access for irrigation or as part of intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy – all without breaking the suction circuit. To irrigate through the CLR Port, simply remove the Access Cap and insert the CLR Irrigator. After the irrigation is complete, insert a new Access Cap.
The Port Injector
The CLR Port Injector allows for Luer syringes to connect to the CLR Port to enable pleural fluid sampling or as part of intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy protocols – all without breaking the suction circuit.
Troubleshooting
*Always check & consider chest tube position*
1. Sluggish suction (but still flowing) or poor fluid return
- Check suction regulator setting. When Irrigator’s red button is not depressed, regulator should display selected pressure
- Ensure suction tubing is not kinked
- Ensure Irrigator is not connected to same canister / suction circuit as other suction devices (e.g., Pleur-Evac) & is not Y’d off to >1 suction canister
- Consider manipulating / sweeping chest tube, or adjusting patient position (e.g., T-burg, reverse T-burg) to drain fluid toward tip of tube
2. Occluded suction (no flow)
- Disconnect Irrigator from chest tube & press red button – if pressure regulator dial drops to zero, Irrigator is functioning properly (i.e., problem is distal to Irrigator)
- Reconnect Irrigator to chest tube and toggle between irrigation & suction to free any occlusion from tip of tube
- Consider repositioning or replacing chest tube
3. Poor inflow
- Ensure irrigation tubing is not kinked
- Toggle between irrigation & suction to free any occlusion from tip of tube
- Check height of saline bag relative to patient
- Consider repositioning or replacing chest tube
4. Leakage
- Ensure Irrigator button(s) are depressed with straight downward force and minimal side loading
- Check saline bag level to see if inflow is occurring. If not, chest tube may be occluded or in a small pleural pocket. Consider chest tube position or exchanging smaller volumes to break thin septations.