How to determine JP drainage color

ParvulusPuella · Feb 28, 2016

I thought sanguinous meant bloody?

sjalv · Feb 28, 2016

Sanguineous literally means 'of or relating to blood'. Perhaps you meant serosanguineous, which is yellowish with small bits of blood.

offlabel · Feb 28, 2016

Don't over think this. A JP drain is placed to avoid a post op hematoma at a surgical site. Hematomas can cause suture line tension and compression of important structures like blood supply and airways.

It's placed when the surgeon anticipates some oozing of blood after the procedure, not because active bleeding is anticipated.

With experience, you be able to look at what's in the bulb and tell if its sero sanguinous (watery, bloody) or frank blood or simply serous(golden colored).

The point is that if frank blood isn't filling the bulb frequently and a hematoma isn't forming, all is well.

dnptobe20 · Feb 28, 2016

Sanguineous is bloody, serosanguinous is blood mixed with serous drainage (more watered down bloody/ more pinkish in color) and serous drainage is usually clear yellowish or straw colored fluid. Purulent drainage is pus - thicker/ more transluscent to opaque cream colored to yellow.

Julius Seizure · Feb 28, 2016

I tend to chart bloody for frank heavy blood and sanguinous for thin but all red. Probably not actually officially the rule but it's just how it makes sense in my head.