Mikulicz pack (Mikulicz drain)
A large sterile gauze sac or bag (classically fashioned from a single piece of gauze with a central drawstring) packed with smaller sterile gauze rolls or sponges, left with a tape or suture tag exiting the wound.
How it is used
Packed loosely into a large, contaminated, or infected cavity (e.g., after drainage of an abscess or in an open-abdomen situation) to promote hemostasis, absorb exudate, and keep the cavity open; the inner filling is removed in stages over subsequent days, with the outer bag withdrawn last to minimize trauma to granulating tissue.
Clinical tip
Document it as a single counted unit with a clearly visible external tag, and plan a staged removal (typically starting at 48-72 hours) to avoid both premature cavity collapse and retained gauze.
Sources
This entry is part of the Instriq catalog, researched and written per specialty from real web research -- never generated or invented without verification -- and reviewed skeptically and independently before publication. How this catalog is written.
History
Added to the catalog on 2026-10-05. Content last updated: 2026-10-07.
Dates derived from the project's public version-control history on GitHub, not a live collaborative edit log.