Nursing Component Task
Nursing procedures & clinical learning

General Nursing (RGN)

CARE OF DRAINAGE TUBE

Care of a drainage tube maintains an aseptic path for fluid or air to leave a wound or body cavity. The nurse assesses the insertion site, tubing, collection system, output, and patient response without disturbing the drain or applying unprescribed suction or flushing.

Purpose

  • Maintain drainage of fluid, blood, pus, or air
  • Prevent blockage, infection, leakage, and accidental displacement
  • Promote healing and monitor the patient’s response

Indications

  • A patient with a surgical, wound, chest, abdominal, or other prescribed drain
  • Routine drain-site and collection-system assessment
  • A need to measure and report drainage

Equipment

  • Clean and sterile gloves as indicated
  • Prescribed cleansing solution and sterile gauze
  • Appropriate dressing and securement materials
  • PPE, kidney dish, waste bags, and sharps container
  • Graduated measuring container or drain chart
  • Clamp only when specifically prescribed
  • Documentation record and emergency supplies appropriate to the drain

Preparation

  • Review the operation or procedure note and expected output, and compare with prior drainage.
  • Ensure the patient can call for help and understands how to protect the tubing during movement.

Procedure steps

  • Verify the drain type, indication, prescribed management, suction setting if applicable, and patient identity.
  • Explain the procedure, assess pain and respiratory or circulatory status, provide privacy, and give prescribed analgesia if needed.
  • Perform hand hygiene, prepare equipment, position the patient safely, and protect the bed and clothing.
  • Inspect the insertion site and surrounding skin for redness, swelling, warmth, bleeding, leakage, separation, and tenderness.
  • Check that the drain is secured, tubing is unkinked and dependent where appropriate, connections are tight, and the collection system is below the site when indicated.
  • Put on clean gloves, remove the old dressing, assess the amount, colour, consistency, and odour of drainage, and dispose of it safely.
  • Remove gloves, perform hand hygiene, and use sterile technique to clean from the insertion site outward with prescribed solution.
  • Apply the appropriate sterile dressing without compressing or occluding the drain; do not manipulate, strip, flush, or clamp unless ordered.
  • Measure and record output according to the device and local policy, maintain suction if prescribed, and reassess the patient.
  • Dispose of equipment, perform hand hygiene, provide education, and document the drain assessment, care, output, and escalation.

Precautions

  • Do not clamp a drain unless specifically ordered; clamping may cause dangerous accumulation of fluid or air.
  • Do not strip, milk, flush, or reposition a drain unless the prescription and device policy authorize it.
  • Report sudden absence or large increase of drainage, bright-red blood, purulence, foul odour, leakage, displacement, or worsening pain.
  • Use drain-specific emergency precautions, especially for chest drains, and never lift a collection system above the insertion site when contraindicated.

Aftercare

  • Secure tubing without tension, maintain a comfortable position, and check that the dressing remains clean and dry.
  • Teach the patient to avoid pulling the drain and to report sudden pain, breathlessness, leakage, or displacement.

Documentation

  • Record site appearance, drain type and position, patency, suction, dressing, output amount and character, pain, and patient tolerance.
  • Document abnormalities, actions taken, clinician notification, and any specimen sent.

Educational resource only. Follow current Nursing and Midwifery Council guidance, local institutional protocols, scope of practice, and clinical supervision.

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