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.
Most often the drain is removed when the
amount of drainage is less than 30 to 40 Wound Drainage Systems
milliliters (mls) over 24 hours.

Care of Your Wound Drain(s)

• 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) James Cancer Hospital & Solove Research

Institute, The Ohio State 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.
Page 2

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
• Swab stick for cleaning the skin
• 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.
Page 4

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.
 Page 5

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.
Page 6

Your drain needs cleared of clogs if:

• 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.
• Your skin at the drain site feels spongy or slushy.
• 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.
 Page 7

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.
• A change in smell of the drainage, especially if it smalls like a rotten egg.
• Redness or unusual drainage around the tube that is larger than ½ inch.
• 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.
• Fever of more than 101 degrees.
• The drain pulls out of your skin.
• 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: health-
info@osu.edu.
Page 8

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 #______ Drain #_______ Comments and
Date Amount and color of fluid Amount and color of fluid Extra times
AM PM AM PM emptied
______ml ______ml _______ml _______ml
color: color: color: color:
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Drain #______ Drain #_______ Comments and

Date Amount and color of fluid Amount and color of fluid Extra times
AM PM AM PM emptied
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