A Jackson-Pratt drain (also called a JP drain) is a closed-suction medical device that is commonly used as a post-operative drain for collecting bodily fluids from surgical sites. The device consists of an internal drain connected to a grenade-shaped bulb or circular cylinder via plastic tubing.[1]
The purpose of a drain is to prevent fluid (blood or other) build-up in a closed ("dead") space,[2] which may cause either disruption of the wound and the healing process or become an infected abscess, with either scenario possibly requiring a formal drainage/repair procedure (and possibly another trip to the operating room). The drain is also used to evacuate an internal abscess before surgery when an infection already exists.[3] Clots and other solid matter in the drainage fluid may occlude the tubing, preventing the device from draining properly.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Closed suction drain with bulbwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary, "Dead Space", http://www.merriam-webster.com/medlineplus/dead%20space
- ^ Patient.co.uk, "Surgical Drains - Indications, Management and Removal", http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Surgical-Drains-Indications-Management-and-Removal.htm