How to Care for your Drain at Home
How to care for your drain at home:
• Empty your drain morning and at night time if you can and only use the equipment provided by the ward.
• Wash your hands.
• Remove the stopper from the container.
• Drain the fluid from the container into the jug by squeezing it a few times.
• Clean the stopper with the alcohol wipe.
• Press the container together placing your thumbs where indicating. It must click together.
• Replace the stopper.
• Pull the bottom paddle towards you, the container will pop and a suction will have been created. This is a crucial element of the process, DO NOT FORGET.
• Estimate the amount of fluid in the jug using the measurement on the side of it. The drain can be removed when the daily total is less than 50 mls. If your drain is still collecting large amounts of fluid after 10 days, please ring the ward or your breast care nurse for advice.
• Dispose of the fluid in the toilet; wash the jug out with boiling water. Wash your hands when finished.
Please contact your hospital team if you have any difficult with this process or the skin site around the drain is leaking.
Disclaimer: On this website you will find advice to help you manage some of the more common but milder symptoms and side effects of breast cancer surgery. Please ONLY use this advice if you are currently participating in the ePainQ research project, otherwise you must follow the advice given to you by your medical team.
Clicking on the links in the left hand menu will take you to advice on looking after yourself during treatment. If after following the advice you don’t feel your symptoms are being successfully managed or relieved, or if you become more unwell, you should contact your hospital medical team immediately.