Managing patients with lumbar drainage devices

All nurses who care for patients with LDDs must have demonstrated initial competency with LDDs and should participate in periodic in-service training to maintain that competency. Clearly an educated critical care nurse is the most essential partner that a patient with an LDD can have for preventing complications and ensuring that the best outcomes for the patient are achieved. Nurses caring for patients with an LDD must have a clear institution-specific policy and procedure available to guide the care of these patients.