Jackson-Pratt drain
Encyclopedia
A Jackson-Pratt drain, JP drain, or Bulb drain, is a surgical drainage
device used to pull excess fluid from the body by constant suction
.
The device consists of a flexible rubber bulb—shaped something like a hand grenade
-- that connects to an internal drainage tube. Removing the bulb's plug, squeezing air out of the bulb and replacing the plug creates suction in the drainage tubing.
Another method involves folding the drain in half while it is uncapped, then while folded, recapping the drain. This action causes fluid to be gradually sucked out of the body and into the bulb itself. The bulb may be repeatedly opened to remove the collected fluid and squeezed again to restore suction. It is best to empty drains before they are more than half full to avoid the discomfort of the weight of the drain pulling on the internal tubing
Patients or caretakers can "strip" the drains by taking a damp towel or piece of cloth and bracing the portion of the tubing closest to the body with their fingers, run the cloth down the length of the tube to the drain bulb. One can also put a little bit of lotion or mineral oil
on their fingertips to lubricate the tube to make stripping easier. The portion of the tube closest to the exit point of the drain from the body should be gripped first, and once the length of the drain is stripped, the end closest to the bulb should then be released. This increases the level of suction and helps to move clots through the drainage tube into the bulb.
Drain (surgery)
A surgical drain is a tube used to remove pus, blood or other fluids from a wound. Drains inserted after surgery do not result in faster wound healing or prevent infection but are sometimes necessary to drain body fluid which may accumulate and in itself become a focus of infection...
device used to pull excess fluid from the body by constant suction
Suction
Suction is the flow of a fluid into a partial vacuum, or region of low pressure. The pressure gradient between this region and the ambient pressure will propel matter toward the low pressure area. Suction is popularly thought of as an attractive effect, which is incorrect since vacuums do not...
.
The device consists of a flexible rubber bulb—shaped something like a hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
-- that connects to an internal drainage tube. Removing the bulb's plug, squeezing air out of the bulb and replacing the plug creates suction in the drainage tubing.
Another method involves folding the drain in half while it is uncapped, then while folded, recapping the drain. This action causes fluid to be gradually sucked out of the body and into the bulb itself. The bulb may be repeatedly opened to remove the collected fluid and squeezed again to restore suction. It is best to empty drains before they are more than half full to avoid the discomfort of the weight of the drain pulling on the internal tubing
Patients or caretakers can "strip" the drains by taking a damp towel or piece of cloth and bracing the portion of the tubing closest to the body with their fingers, run the cloth down the length of the tube to the drain bulb. One can also put a little bit of lotion or mineral oil
Mineral oil
A mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of alkanes in the C15 to C40 range from a non-vegetable source, particularly a distillate of petroleum....
on their fingertips to lubricate the tube to make stripping easier. The portion of the tube closest to the exit point of the drain from the body should be gripped first, and once the length of the drain is stripped, the end closest to the bulb should then be released. This increases the level of suction and helps to move clots through the drainage tube into the bulb.
External links
- The Cleveland Clinic
- Detailed care instructions from Drugs.com