General IR · Patient guide

How do I manage my drain?

Name: How do I manage my drain?
Creator: Fabio Komlos, MD

Care for your drain at home with confidence.

A few minutes a day keeps your drain working: empty and measure it, flush it if we asked you to, change the dressing and write down the numbers. Good care often means the drain comes out sooner.

5–10 minutes a day
Flush once daily
Record every output
Shower after 24 hours

Request a consultation Call 650-404-8445

Fabio Komlos, MDInterventional radiologist

Watch the video explanation5:54 video · How to Flush a Catheter Correctly?

Your log matters
Daily output and temperature tell us when the drain can come out.

Watch and learn

How to Flush a Catheter Correctly?

Dr. Fabio Komlos walks through how do i manage my drain? the way he explains it in clinic, using the same images he uses to plan treatment.

Fabio Komlos, MDInterventional radiologist · 5:54

5–10mLUsual saline flush volume

8–12hrEmpty a bulb this often, or when half full

< 20mLDaily output when most drains come out

Know your drain

A drainage catheter is a thin, soft tube with small holes near its tip. The tip sits inside the fluid pocket, and the other end comes out through your skin. Outside the body, the tube connects to a collection device that pulls fluid out gently with suction.

Parts you will see

The tube: held at the skin with a small stitch and covered by a dressing.
A 3-way stopcock or a Y-shaped flush port: a small valve in the line where you attach a syringe to flush.
A collection device: most often a Jackson-Pratt (JP) bulb, a soft squeeze bulb about the size of an egg. For thick or large amounts of fluid we may use an accordion drain, a larger pump that folds like an accordion and empties into a bag.
A clip or strap: to pin the bulb to your clothing or strap the accordion to your leg or belt.

The suction only works when the bulb or accordion is squeezed flat. If it puffs back up full of air, it is no longer pulling fluid out.

How to empty your drain

Empty the bulb when it is about half full, or every 8 to 12 hours, even if there is only a little fluid. You will need a measuring cup marked in milliliters (mL) and your drainage log.

JP bulb

1Wash your hands well with soap and water.
2Pull the plug out of the top of the bulb. Pour the fluid into the measuring cup.
3Read the amount. Write down the date, time and amount on your log.
4Wipe the plug with an alcohol pad. Squeeze the bulb flat in your fist, and while it is flat, push the plug back in.
5Check that the bulb stays flat. If you cannot squeeze and plug at the same time, press the bulb flat against a table while you close it.
6Flush the fluid down the toilet and wash your hands again.

Check the accordion pump several times a day. To restart the suction, press down on the top until it is fully folded. Any fluid inside the pump moves into the attached bag.

Accordion drain

1Wash your hands with soap and water.
2Hold the bag over the toilet or a measuring container and open the valve cap at the bottom by turning it.
3Measure the fluid and write the amount on your log.
4Turn the valve cap back to the closed position. If you forget, the bag will leak.
5Press the accordion flat again and wash your hands.

How to flush your drain

Flushing pushes a small amount of sterile salt water, called saline, through the tube so it does not clog. Most people flush once a day, and more often if the fluid is thick. Use 5 to 10 mL of sterile saline, or the amount we told you. Prefilled 10 mL saline syringes are the easiest. It takes about 5 minutes once you have done it a few times.

With a 3-way stopcock

1Wash your hands. Remove the cap from the side port and wipe the port with an alcohol pad.
2Screw the saline syringe onto the side port.
3Turn the dial so the word off (or the handle) points toward the bulb. Now the syringe connects only to the tube going into your body.
4Push the saline in slowly and steadily. Do not force it.
5Turn the dial back so off points toward the side port where the syringe is. Now the bulb connects to the tube again.
6Remove the syringe and put a clean cap on the side port.
7Squeeze the bulb flat so suction restarts. Within a minute you should see fluid moving toward the bulb.

With a Y-shaped flush port

1Close the pinch clamp on the tubing that goes to the bulb.
2Wipe the flush port with an alcohol pad and attach the saline syringe.
3Push the saline in slowly. Do not force it.
4Remove the syringe and open the pinch clamp.
5Squeeze the bulb flat so suction restarts.

Do not pull back on the syringe to suck fluid out unless we have taught you to. Do not count the flush in your output: if you flushed 10 mL, subtract 10 mL from that day's total.

Dressing changes and skin care

Change the dressing once a day, and any time it gets wet or dirty. A soft, padded adhesive dressing or split gauze held with tape works well. Tape a loop of the tube to your skin a few inches from the site, so a tug pulls on the tape and not on the stitch.

1Wash your hands and gently remove the old dressing.
2Clean around the tube with soap and water or saline on gauze. Work from the tube outward.
3Let the skin dry fully. Do not put creams or powders at the site unless we suggest them.
4Place a clean dressing around the tube and tape it down.
5Throw away the old dressing. Wrap it in a small plastic bag if it is bloody. Wash your hands.

A little clear or pink fluid on the gauze is normal. A small amount of redness right at the edge of the tube is common. Spreading redness, warmth, swelling or pus is not, so call us.

Showering and daily life

You can usually shower 24 hours after the drain is placed. It is fine if the tube gets wet. Pin or strap the bulb so it does not hang from the tube. After the shower, pat the area dry and put on a fresh dressing. Do not soak in a bath, hot tub, pool or the ocean while the drain is in.

Activity: most people are back to light daily activity within about a week. Avoid heavy lifting, contact sports and strenuous exercise while the drain is in and for about 1 week after it comes out.
Driving: not for the rest of the day if you had sedation. After that, drive only if the drain does not limit your movement and you are not taking opioid pain medicine.
Sleeping: sleep on the other side, or place the bulb beside you on the bed. Pinning it to your pajamas keeps it from pulling.
Clothes: loose tops and a drain belt or lanyard make the bulb easier to carry.

Recording your output

Keep a simple log. Each time you empty the drain, write the date, time and amount. At the end of the day, add up the total. Also write your highest temperature of the day. Bring the log to every clinic visit, or send us a photo of it.

There is no single right color. Fluid that is not infected is usually clear, golden or pink. Infected fluid is cloudy and can be thick, yellow, green, brown or gray. Over time, we expect the amount to go down and the fluid to become thinner and clearer. A small amount of blood can appear as the pocket collapses, and that is usually fine.

First few days
Output is often highest. Empty the bulb every 8 to 12 hours and flush daily.
Days 3 to 5
Culture results are usually back. We may adjust your antibiotics.
End of week 1
Output should be falling. Call us if it is not, or if it suddenly stops.
Output under 20 mL a day
If the fluid is thin and clear, we may repeat a scan and schedule removal.
Removal
Done in clinic without sedation. The stitch is cut and the tube slides out in a few seconds.

Solving common problems

Nothing is draining: check that the bulb is flat and the stopcock is turned toward the bulb. Look for kinks. Flush the tube. If the bulb fills with air right away, the system may have a leak; call us. If the bulb stays flat for more than an hour and nothing comes out, the pocket may simply be empty. That is often good news, but let us know.
Leaking around the tube: this usually means the tube is clogged. Flush it, check the bulb is flat, then clean the skin and change the dressing. Call us if it keeps leaking.
A clot or stringy plug in the tube: pinch the tube near your skin and slide your fingers toward the bulb to milk the plug along, or flush it.
The tube slid out partway or completely: do not push it back in. Cover the site with clean gauze, keep the tube and call us the same day.
Blood in the bulb: a little pink or streaky fluid is normal. Bright red blood that fills the bulb, or blood so thick you cannot see through the tube for more than a day, needs a call.

When to call us

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for heavy bleeding, sudden severe pain or trouble breathing. Call us at 650-404-8445 for a fever above 101°F or chills, pain that keeps getting worse, spreading redness or pus at the site, a drain that stops working after flushing, or a drain that falls out. If you cannot reach us after hours and feel unwell, go to the nearest emergency room.

Supplies to keep at home

Prefilled 10 mL sterile saline syringes
Alcohol pads
Sterile caps for the stopcock side port
Split gauze or padded adhesive dressings, and medical tape
A measuring cup marked in mL
Your drainage log and a thermometer
Safety pins, a drain belt or a lanyard
Gloves, if a family member helps you

We send you home with a starter supply. For where to find more, see home supplies.

Common questions

What if I forget to flush one day?

Flush as soon as you remember and carry on with your usual routine. Missing one flush is rarely a problem, but thick fluid can clog the tube, so try to make it part of a daily habit.

Can I use tap water to flush?

No, use sterile saline for this kind of drain. The tube goes into a closed pocket inside your body, and tap water is not sterile.

Does it hurt to have the drain removed?

Most people feel a short pulling or tugging for a few seconds. No sedation is needed. A small bandage goes on the site, and the hole usually closes within a day or two.

How do I know the drain is working?

The bulb stays flat and you see fluid in the tube or bulb. If the bulb is flat and nothing comes out, flush once. Then call us if it still does not drain.

Can I go back to work with a drain?

Many people return to desk work within a few days. Jobs with heavy lifting or physical strain usually need to wait until the drain is out.

Why do you want my temperature every day?

A new fever can be the first sign that an infection is not clearing or that the drain is blocked. Together with your output, it helps us decide what to do next.

Written for patients by the Palo Alto Interventional team. General information only; your own plan depends on your health and imaging.

Talk to us about your options

Request a consultation online, or call 650-404-8445, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. You can also ask your doctor to send a referral. We will review your imaging and help you decide whether a procedure makes sense.