How do you empty a Hemovac device?
What is a suction drain?A suction drain is a device that gently pulls fluid from your body. It’s used to prevent extra fluid from building up in your body after surgery or if you have an infection. Show
The suction drain has a thin flexible tube attached to a squeezable container. One end of the tube is inserted in the area of your body where the fluid is building up. The other end is attached to the flattened container. As the container expands, it draws out the excess fluids. Two common types of suction drains are:
The suction drain will stay in place until the amount of fluid slows or stops. How do I empty the bulb?Check the amount of fluid in the container every 2 to 4 hours. Empty it when the container is half full, or every 8 hours, whichever comes first. As you heal, the amount of fluid will get smaller, and you’ll need to empty it less often. Follow these steps:
How do I protect my skin?The skin at the place where the tubing enters your body needs to stay clean to prevent infection. Change the dressing over the area every day. Follow these steps:
When should I call for help?Contact your healthcare provider if you experience any of the following:
Chapter 4. Wound Care Drain ManagementDrain systems are a common feature of post-operative surgical management and are used to remove drainage from a wound bed to prevent infection and the delay of wound healing. A drain may be superficial to the skin or deep in the tissue, duct, or cavity. The number of drains depends on the extent and type of surgery. Active drains are closed systems that use vacuum action to withdraw fluids from the site into a collection reservoir. The drainage tube is a silastic tube with perforations to allow fluid to be sucked away from the site. Closed systems should be emptied when they are 1/3 to 1/2 full to allow the drain to function optimally. At minimum they should be emptied and measured at least once every shift, and the ports cleaned according to agency policy. These drains are very common and are referred to as Hemovac or Jackson Pratt (Perry et al., 2018). Hemovac drains (see Figure 4.5) can hold up to 500 ml of drainage. A Jackson Pratt (JP) (see Figure 4.6) is used for wounds anticipated to have smaller amounts of drainage. Drains are often sutured to the skin to prevent accidental removal. The drain insertion site is covered with a sterile dressing. Assessment of drain functioning periodically throughout the day is important. These types of drains are referred to as active drains because of the suction action used to remove drainage. They are also referred to as closed wound drains because the drain system is closed. Passive drains, also known as capillary drains, work by providing an opening from the area of concern to the outside of the body. Gravity and body movement allow excess fluid to simply escape through the opening. Penrose drains are pieces of surgical tubing inserted into a surgical site, secured with a suture on the skin surface, and they drain into a sterile dressing (Perry et al., 2018). Care and maintenance includes frequent dressing changes and attention to the peri-wound skin, which is at risk for breakdown in the presence of ++ moisture. Removal of capillary drains requires attention to avoid losing the drain into the patient’s body when the securing suture is released. Pigtail drains (see Figure 4.7) are another type of passive drain. They are a type of tubing inserted into the site, held in place by the tube’s curl at the end. These can also be sutured on the skin surface. Pigtail drains are attached to a drainage bag and are often used to manage the treatment of abscesses (RSNA, 2018). Figure 4.5 Hemovac drainFigure 4.6 Jackson Pratt drainFigure 4.7 Pigtail drainChecklist 40 outlines the steps to take when emptying a closed wound drainage system.
Removal of a drain must be ordered by the prescriber. A drain is usually in place for 24 to 48 hours, and removal depends on the amount of drainage over the previous 24 hours. Drain RemovalChecklist 41 outlines the steps for removing a wound drainage system (hemovac and JP) ** this is not the guidelines for removal of pigtail drains. Refer to your agency policy.
Watch the video JP Drain Removal developed by Renée Anderson & Wendy McKenzie Thompson Rivers University School of Nursing (2014). Critical Thinking Exercises
AttributionsFigure 4.7 Pigtail drain by Agency for Clinical Innovation is used under a CC BY 4.0 license. What is a Hemovac drain and is this something that the nurse can empty?A Hemovac drain is placed under your skin during surgery. This drain removes any blood or other fluids that might build up in this area. You can go home with the drain still in place.
When can a Hemovac drain be removed?Your drain will be removed when the fluid leaking from it is less than 2 tablespoons each day. There is a bandage at the site where the tube is placed. This is to protect the open area from infection. Your stitches will be taken out 7 to 14 days after surgery.
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