Development and Clinical Evaluation of a Double-Helix Drainage Tube Securement Patch for Patients Undergoing Head and...

To design a double‑helix drainage tube securement patch and assess its clinical efficacy in patients after head‑neck surgery.

Based on biomechanical theories, we developed a composite securement patch with bilateral 1‑cm‑wide, 3.5‑cm‑long spiral strips, an elastic connecting strap, and lateral pressure‑distributing wing patches (area ≥12 cm²). This non‑randomized controlled trial recruited 125 patients with postoperative drainage tubes after head‑neck surgery in a tertiary Grade‑A hospital in Shanxi Province from June 2024 to June 2025 via convenience sampling. Patients were divided by admission sequence into a control group (n=64) with conventional 3M‑tape bridge‑type fixation and a study group (n=61) with the double‑helix patch. Primary outcomes included securement time, adverse event (AE) incidence, traction‑related pain frequency, skin injury rate, General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ) scores, patient satisfaction, and cost‑effectiveness.

The study group showed markedly lower AE incidence (p<0.001), shorter single securement time (1.75±2.81 min vs 2.88±2.93 min, p=0.043), higher GCQ scores (93.26±9.23 vs 84.39±14.82, p<0.001), better satisfaction (p<0.001), and 43.2% lower consumable costs (p<0.001). Traction‑related pain frequency and skin injury rate showed no inter‑group differences (p>0.05). No significant between-group difference was observed in the duration of drainage tube indwelling (p = 0.055).

The double‑helix patch enables quick, stable drainage tube fixation. Its dynamic flexibility preserves head‑neck mobility, lowers drainage‑related AEs and secondary incision injury risks, cuts costs, and improves patient comfort and satisfaction, warranting wider clinical use.