penrose drain help

[timonrn]

To all you Med/Surg nurses out there--what do you use to contain the drainage from a penrose drain? This is the first time I have seen this type of drain, let alone used on a Abd Hyst patient (This is a new OB/GYN doc to our unit who is some what unconvential)-we are used to JP's. I used 4x4's folded over and probably could have used an ABD pad--thanks for your input.

[fergus51]

We do just that. Lots of gauze and it's definitely neater if you cover the gauze with an abd. pad.

[Rileycat]

I'm very late in responding, but I am new to this site.

I am a CNA on a med-surg floor. We use a bag/bladder to contain drainage from a penrose drain. I don't know the name of it, but it looks like a minature colostomy bag and it opens and closes the same way. At the end of each shift (more often if needed)we empty the contents into a container, measure it, and dispose of it. There is no leakage from the bag and no dressings are needed.

[timonrn]

Thank-you--I'll check with our central supply to see if this exists at this facility--Had a penrose just recentely again and I used the dressing/ABD pad trick and it did work great--kept the mess from running down pts leg, anyways.