Question about post-surgical drain removal

[Goldentea]

Hey everyone! I have a question about how to care for the drain site after a drain is removed. I have a pt. that had surgery about a month ago, and yesterday was the first night that the family didn't cover the incision site because it was healed, closed, and scabbed over already. When the pt. went to sleep last night, the old opening where the drain used to be, opened up and started leaking heavy amounts of serosanguinous fluid. In school, we were never thought what to do in home care, and what happens after drains are removed. The nurse I'm working with, my mentor, said that sometimes the drain site opens up if the body cannot absorb the fluid, and sometimes these sites don't always close. My question is, what do I teach the pt and the family about this? Do I tell them that this may happen again and that the site may never close? And if it does open up, just use gauze to absorb the fluid? They went to the ER when it happened last night, btw, because the family got freaked out. Thanks for your help!

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

The family did the right thing. That kind of heavy leaking from a wound warrants medical attention. I have always taught my patients that if a surgical wound starts draining, you call the MD.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

A surgery a month ago and starts leaking...off to the MD they go.