Home Care for Your Wound Drain Hemovac, Jackson Pratt or other Drain Systems You may have one or more drains to help your wounds heal after surgery. Hemovac, Jackson Pratt (JP) and Blake are common brand names of self-contained suction drain systems. These drains aid healing by draining fluid from the wound and this also prevents swelling. The wound drainage tubing is placed into the wound through the skin near the surgical incision. It is held in place by stitches. s titches. Most often the drain is removed when the amount of drainage is less than 30 to 40 milliliters (mls) over 24 hours.
Wound Drainage Systems
Care of Your Wound Drain(s) •
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Each day you need to clean the skin around the drain and empty the collection chamber in the morning and in the evening. If your doctor wants the site covered, you will need to change the dressing each day. You may need to clear the tubing of clogs if the drainage stops.
This handout will give you the steps to follow to do each of these care tasks. More on next page Learn more about your health care.
© Copyright, (2/3/2009) (2/3/2009) James James Cancer Hospital Hospital & Solove Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University University Medical Center - Upon request all patient education handouts are available in other formats for people with special hearing, vision and language needs, call (614) 293-3191.
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How to Empty the Collection Container Empty each collection container in the morning and again in the evening. Any time a container is heavy with fluid, you should empty it. 1. Wash your hands well with warm water and soap. 2. Get a measuring cup and have a drainage record sheet to write down the amount of fluid from each container. You can use the record at the end of this handout or make your own. 3. Unfasten the pins or clip that holds the container to your clothing. 4. Open the plug on the collection container. 5. Empty the fluid into the measuring cup. You may need to turn the container upside down several times or gently squeeze it to empty it. 6. Put the collection container on a firm surface like a sink or table. Press down on it until it is flat. All of the air needs to be out of the container or it will not work properly. While you hold the container flat, put the plug back in the container. 7. Look on the side of the cup to measure the amount of fluid from the drain. Check the fluid for color and smell. If you notice a foul odor like rotten eggs, call your doctor or nurse. It may be a sign of an infection. 8. Write the date, time, amount and color of the fluid on the record sheet. Remember to keep track of the fluid from each collection container if you have more than one drain. 9. Empty the fluid in the toilet. Rinse the measuring cup with clean water and pour that into the toilet. Flush the toilet. Set the measuring cup on a paper towel on the counter or floor until you need it again. 10.Pin the container to your clothing below where the drain comes out of your body. 11.Wash your hands again with warm water and soap. If you do not have a dressing on your drain site, you need to clean the skin around the drain each day. Follow the steps listed below on “How to Clean the Skin Around the Drain.” If you do have a dressing over the site, go on to the section, “How to Change the Dressing.”
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How to Clean the Skin Around the Drain 1. Wash your hands well with warm water and soap. 2. Open the package that has the antiseptic or swab stick for cleaning your skin. 3. Check the skin around the drain site for any redness, swelling or drainage. 4. Use the swab stick to clean the skin around each drain tubing. Start at the tubing and using a circular motion, clean the skin around the tube and out from the tube 3 to 4 inches. Do not clean back towards the tubing. Throw the swab stick away. Let the skin dry. 5. If you have more than one drain tube, get a new swab stick and clean the skin around each drain in the same manner. 6. Wash your hands again with warm water and soap.
How to Change the Dressing Follow instruction given to you. Check box or fill in instructions here. 1. Gather your supplies. •
Gauze square (split 4”x 4”) dressings
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Swab stick for cleaning the skin
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Tape
2. Wash your hands with warm water and soap. 3. Loosen the tape and remove the old dressing from around the drain. Be careful not to pull the drain out. Look at the dressing for any unusual or foul smelling drainage. Put the old dressing in a plastic bag and throw it away into a wastebasket. 4. Wash your hands again with warm water and soap. 5. Look for any redness or unusual or foul smelling drainage at the drain site.
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6. Use the swab stick to clean around each drain tubing. Start at the tubing and using a circular motion, clean the skin around the tube and out from the tube 3 to 4 inches. Do not clean back towards the tubing. Throw the swab stick away. Let the skin dry.
7. If you have more than one drain tube, get a new swab stick and clean the skin around each drain in the same manner.
8. Tear off tape needed to secure the dressing.
9. Open the 4 x 4 split gauze dressing package. Touching only the edges of the dressing, remove it from the package. Put the gauze around the drainage tube as shown in the picture.
10.If instructed to do so, use a second split gauze dressing over the first gauze. Place the second gauze to cover the tube as shown in the picture.
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11.Tape the gauze in place. If you are to cover the whole dressing, use 3 pieces of tape as shown in the pictures. Place the first piece of tape where the drain tube comes out from under the dressing. Pinch the tape around the drain tube so it will not move if it gets pulled.
Place the second tape over the center of the dressing so the edges of the tapes just overlap. Then place the third tape to cover the rest of the dressing. The dressing change is now complete.
If you have skin irritation, redness or blistering from the tape, you may need to use a foam barrier dressing called Duoderm around the site. You would put the tape on the duoderm instead of on your skin to prevent further irritation. The duoderm can stay in place as long as you have the drain.
Clearing the Drainage Tubing of Clogs Your drainage tubing may get clogs or blockages in it that keeps the fluid from draining. You may need to break up the clogs by pinching or squeezing the tubing at the clog.
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Your drain needs cleared of clogs if: •
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You can see a clog in the tubing that is keeping the fluid from draining out. You have fluid leaking from around the tubing where it goes into your skin.
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Your skin at the drain site feels spongy or slushy.
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You have a sudden decrease in the amount of drainage.
Follow one of these methods to clear your drain tubing: First Method 1. Start at the top of the drain tubing where it leaves the skin. Pinch and roll the tubing between your thumb and first finger.
2. Repeat step 1 all the way down the tubing until you reach the drainage container. 3. Repeat as needed.
Second Method 1. Hold the top of the drain tubing where it leaves the skin with one hand so that it does not pull on the skin.
2. Firmly pinch the tubing with your other hand using your thumb and first finger. 3. Slowly, but firmly, pull your pinched thumb and first finger down the tubing. Avoid using your fingernails as they may damage the tube. 4. You may stop and start as you need to move the clot through the tubing. 5. Stop if you are pulling on the tubing so much that it hurts. You do not want to pull on the tubing so hard that you pull it out of the skin. 6. As you do this, you may see the clog move down, but not out of the tube. This keeps clogs from sticking and drying inside of the tube. 7. Repeat as needed.
If you try these methods and you are not able to clear the clog from your drain after 4 to 6 hours, call your doctor or nurse.
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Call Your Doctor or Nurse Call your doctor or nurse right away if you have: •
Any sudden increase of more than 30 mls of drainage or a sudden decrease of more than 30 mls of drainage.
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A change in smell of the drainage, especially if it smalls like a rotten egg.
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Redness or unusual drainage around the tube that is larger than ½ inch.
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No fluid in the collection container or fluid is leaking around the tube. This may mean there is a blockage in the tubing. Swelling around the drain or incision. The collection container will not stay pressed together. There may be an air leak in the drain system.
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Fever of more than 101 degrees.
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The drain pulls out of your skin.
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New or increased pain around the drain.
Talk to your doctor or others on your health care team if you have questions. You may request more written information from the Library for Health Information at (614) 293-3707 or email:
[email protected].
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Wound Drainage Record Sheet Write in the date, amount and color of drainage fluid from each drain each time you empty the collection container . Drain #______ Date Amount and color of fluid AM PM ______ml ______ml color: color:
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