UWHealth 4603 Surgical Drain Instruction Manual
- June 13, 2024
- UWHealth
Table of Contents
UWHealth 4603 Surgical Drain
Care of Your Surgical Drain at Home
Surgical drains are placed to help treat a collection of fluid or prevent fluid from building up in your body. Many times, you will go home with a drain. This handout will tell you how to care for your drain at home.
Cleaning the Site
You will need to clean your drain sites daily. You may shower while your
drains are in place. Let the soap and water run over the incisions and the
drain sites. Do not soak in the tub, pool or hot tub with the drains in place.
If you do not shower daily, you need to wash the incision and drain sites once
a day. Make sure that you look at your drain sites for any sign of increased
pain, redness, swelling, or pus-like drainage when doing your dressing change.
- Wash your hands.
- Remove old dressing.
- Wash your hands again.
- Use soap and water. If you have well water, use distilled water.
- Clean around the drain where it enters your skin with a washcloth.
- Pat the site dry, do not rub dry as this may slow healing.
- Apply a new dressing and tape it in place (if desired).
Stripping the Drain
You may be asked to “strip” the drain while at home. This helps keep the tube
open and working.
- “Strip” drains 2 times daily. Hold the tubing between your thumb and index finger where the drain comes out of your skin.
- Squeeze your fingers together to pinch the tubing closed.
- Place the fingers of your other hand on the tubing just below where you have it pinched off.
- While holding the first two fingers in place (to keep the drain from pulling out of the skin) slide the bottom two fingers down the tubing while squeezing the tubing gently. A small amount of oil on your fingers or an alcohol swab may make it easier to “strip” the drains.
- This movement will help pull clots into the collection bulb.
- Repeat this movement several times to make sure the tubing is free of clots.
Emptying the Drain
- Empty and measure the amount of drainage in your drains twice a day. Keep a record of the amount. Bring to your next clinic visit. This will help decide when to remove the drains.
- Your fluid will range from a dark red to straw like in color. If it becomes thick, pus-like, and bad smelling call your doctor. This may be a sign of an infection.
- Always keep suction in your drains. There are two different types:
- Bulb-type drain – open drain and squeeze the entire drain in one hand. Recap the opening with your other hand. (Diagram A)
- Reliavac® drain-open the drain and squeeze several times on the top of container until the balloon inside is totally filling the inside container. Recap the opening. (Diagram B)
When to Call
- Temperature of 100.5° F
- Signs of infection: redness or pus-like drainage.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Pain that is not relieved by your pain medicine.
- Pus-like drainage from drains.
Who to Call
Please call if you have questions or concerns. Your doctor’s name is Breast
Center phone number is 608-266-6400,
8:00am to 5:00 pm Monday- Friday
Surgery Clinic phone number is
608-263-7502, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday- Friday
Digestive Health Center phone number is
608-890-5000, 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday-
Friday
Your health care team may have given you this information as part of your care. If so, please use it and call if you have any questions. If this information was not given to you as part of your care, please check with your doctor. This is not medical advice. This is not to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Because each person’s health needs are different, you should talk with your doctor or others on your health care team when using this information. If you have an emergency, please call 911. Copyright © 7/2023 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. University of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics Authority, All Rights Reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. HF#4603
TO EMPTY CONTAINER
- Open port A (bulb will expand)
- Turn bulb upside down and squeeze liquid into the measurement container.
- Record amount of fluid in drainge measurement chart in back of this booklet.
TO CREATE SUCTION:
TO EMPTY CONTAINER:
- Open port B (ballon will deflate)
- Turn suction container upside down and pour liquid into the measurement container.
- Record amount of fluid in drainage measurement chart in back of this booklet.
TO CREATE SUCTION:
Daily Drain Record Sheet
Instructions : Fill out the information below for each drain that you
have in place. See example below. The goal is to have 30 mL or less in 24
hours before removing a drain.
Example : Surgery was on a Wednesday. Start measurements on Thursday.
Write down the date, amount of fluid emptied in the morning and evening and
totals. Use other charts if you have more than one drain.
Drain# 1 Location: left breast
Day of Week| Thurs| Fri| Sat| Sun|
Mon| | | | | | | | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---
Date:| 1/1| 1/2| 1/3| 1/4|
1/5| | | | | | | | |
AM Amount in mLs:| 20| 20| 15| 15|
10| | | | | | | | |
PM Amount in mLs:| 30| 30| 25| 25|
25| | | | | | | | |
Total:| 50| 50| 40| 40| 35|
| | | | | | | |
Drain# __ Location____
Day of Week| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---
Date:| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
AM Amount in mLs| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
PM Amount in mLs| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total:| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Drain #__ Location____
Day of Week| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---
Date:| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
AM Amount in mLs:| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
PM Amount in mLs:| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total:| | | | | | | | | | | | | |