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Caring For Your Jackson Pratt Drain At Home
You have a Jackson Pratt, also called a JP drain placed under your skin during surgery to remove any blood or other fluids that may collect there. You do not need to stay in the hospital until the drain is removed. You will need to empty the drain two times a day, or as your doctor has ordered. Your nurse will show you how to empty and take care of your drain. The following instructions will help you at home. If you have any questions ask your doctor or nurse.
How to empty the Jackson Pratt drain:
- Wash your hands and unpin the drain from your clothes.
- Hold the drain with the stopper at the top.
- Remove the stopper from the pouring spout and let the drain fill with air.
- When the drain is fully expanded, read the amount of fluid in the drain by using the lines on the side of the drain (see picture 1).
Note: Each line has a number next to it, 25, 50, 75 100 ml. This is the amount you will record on the drainage chart. If you cannot see the number, count the number of lines and record it on the chart as line 1, line 2, line 3 and so on.
- Pour all of the liquid out into a paper cup.
Note: To prevent infection DO NOT let the spout or the top of the open drain touch anything (see picture 2).
- Now, use one hand to squeeze the sides of the bulb together. This will push all of the air out of the bulb. While keeping the bulb squeezed, use your other hand to put the stopper back into the spout.
Note: Keeping the bulb squeezed together helps to remove drainage from under the skin.
- Pin the drain back onto your clothes. This will help prevent the drain from being pulled out by mistake.
- Write down the date, time and amount of drainage and bring this record to your first doctor's visit.
- Discard the fluid into the toilet.
- Wash your hands.
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