Mastectomy drains / JP drains

Etiology / Pathophysiology

• Closed-suction drains remove fluid after surgery.
• Drainage prevents fluid accumulation that can impair healing or increase infection risk.

Medications

No specific medication class was seeded for this card.

Nursing actions

• Compress bulb to maintain suction and measure drainage per policy.
• Secure drain below incision and avoid pulling.
• Teach emptying, recording output, and infection signs.

Complications

• Seroma
• Infection
• Drain dislodgement
• Lymphedema risk after lymph node removal

NCLEX cues

• Bulb must be compressed to create suction.
• Do not take BP/IV on affected arm if lymph node dissection restrictions apply.

Memory hooks

• Flat bulb pulls fluid.

Labs / Diagnostics

• Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.

Review notes

• Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.