Wound Drainage Systems – RN Assessment

Surgical drains remove blood and serous fluid from wound cavities, preventing hematoma and seroma formation and reducing infection risk. The RN manages drain output, assesses for complications, and educates patients about drain care. These are common post-operative nursing responsibilities tested on NCLEX-RN for Canadian NCLEX-RN nurses. Common surgical drains: - Jackson-Pratt (JP) drain: Flat, oval bulb; maintains negative pressure by compression; used after mastectomy, abdominal surgery, thyroid surgery - Hemovac drain: Larger flat disk; compressed for negative pressure; used after orthopedic surgery (hip, knee replacement), larger wound cavities - Penrose drain: Flat rubber tube; PASSIVE drainage (no suction); placed in contaminated wounds; allows free drainage - Blake drain: Multi-channel tube; used in chest/abdominal surgery; active suction via negative pressure On the exam, writers often pair stable-sounding options with unstable data—notice the mismatch before you commit. If the stem names a license or role, reread that line; scope errors are classic trap answers even when the clinical topic is familiar. Run a 60-second scan: breathing work and oxygenation, perfusion and end organs, neuro baseline, likely infection sources, and devices that can...