Jackson-Pratt (JP) Drain Home Care Instructions

Post-Operative Instructions

Your JP (Jackson-Pratt) drain removes fluid that may collect inside the body after an operation. There is a soft plastic bulb on the end of the drain to create the suction needed to pull the fluid out of your body.

To Empty Your JP

Do this before the bulb gets full. The bulb will not work if it gets too full.

1. Wash your hands.
2. Get a measuring cup.
3. Open JP bulb cap and read the volume collected. Try not to touch the inside of the cap with anything.
4. Empty the drainage into the measuring cup. Set the measuring cup aside.
5. Before closing the cap, squeeze the JP bulb as flat as possible.
6. While the bulb is squeezed flat, close the cap. The bulb must be flat to work properly (to create the suction).
7. Record the amount of fluid every time you empty your JP.
8. Flush the fluid down the toilet.
9. Wash your hands.

Cleaning the Skin Around the JP Tube

1. Wash your hands.
2. Remove the old dressing.
3. Clean the skin around the tube with mild soap. You may need to use a cotton swab dipped in a solution of one-half hydrogen peroxide and one-half water.
4. Apply a new dressing.

When to Call the Office at (815) 717-8730

• Fever (temperature greater than 38.5° C or 101° F)
• Redness of the skin where the tube comes out of your body
• Increasing drainage on the skin around the tube site
• Cloudy, foul-smelling drainage
• Increasing drainage from the JP bulb that continues longer than two to three days

Use the chart below to record the amount of fluid collected every time you empty your JP bulb.

• Print Jackson-Pratt Drain Chart