[kimmymom]

I have a question that I was hoping someone could answer. I am a new nurse on a medical surgical floor where many of our patients have J-P drains following surgery. Here is the situation:

A young patient that always seems to have the "rare" and "not likely" outcomes is on our floor for about a week. She had a JP placed and had the normal serous to serosanguinous fluid draining and tapering off to drops out per shift. Starting yesterday, the JP started putting out greenish brown fluid in quantities that I believed are large. She put out almost 500 ml yesterday alone.

When I asked other nurses questions, no one seemed to have the answer and told me to just let the doctor know. The patient was worried and I reassured her, but wasn't quite sure how to explain to her why this was occurring.

Anyone have any ideas?

[flightnurse2b]

Originally Posted by kimmymom

Starting yesterday, the JP started putting out greenish brown fluid in quantities that I believed are large. She put out almost 500 ml yesterday alone.

Anyone have any ideas?

greenish brown drainage from a JP is usually a sign of infection... but i have seen a pt with cholecystitis with the JP full of biliary sludge. definately call the doc on this one. good luck!

[Daytonite]

Do just what you did. . .tell the patient that you're just continuing to measure and record that output and letting the doctor know about it. Reassure her about that her vital signs and other abdominal assessment information is unchanged (it was, wasn't it?). Gut surgery is dirty. I got a septic infection a month after my colon surgery. It happens. I had no pain. Just spiked a fever and felt like doo-doo when I woke up one morning. I had a open, draining wound as well and the drainage hadn't changed at all. Go figure. Sometimes there are no explanations.

[cardiacRN2006]

Whenever our drainiage suddenly changes to brown, I always suspect a perf'd (or leaking) bowel. What did the drainage smell like?

I've had this happen-a lot....