Mikulicz's drain

Mikulicz's drain is a name used for a procedure used in emergency medicine to control bleeding. Today, it is primarily used in post-operative surgery as a last resort when all other methods to control bleeding fail. The procedure involves pushing a layer of gauze into the wound, then packing in several more layers of gauze as the original layer is pushed deeper into the cavity.[1] Pressure is thus induced while the capillary action of the improvised gauze-sac secures drainage.

It was developed by Polish surgeon Jan Mikulicz-Radecki (1850-1905) as a means to drain the abdominal cavity after an operation. In the past, the gauze was treated with iodoform as an antiseptic.[2]