JP Drain vs. Blake Drain: Unveiling the Variances (Detailed Explanation)

Surgical drains are important in healthcare since they’re used in patients after their surgery. They’re used to drain out all the drainage after a surgical procedure. There are two types of drain available in the medical industry, one is Jackson Patt (JP) and the other is Blake drain.

The JP drain is oval-shaped with several orifices and intraluminal correlation (inlay). While the blame drain consists of four channels alongside a solid core center.

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What Is a JP Drain?

A Jackson Patt (JP) drain is a soft plastic bulb with a stopper and a flexible tube is attached to it. It has two ends, the drainage end of the tube is placed inside your skin through a small opening near your incision that is known as the insertion site. The tube will be stitched so that it stays in its place and the other end is connected to a bulb.

The bulb is used to create suction. It’s squeezed with a stopper in place that creates a gentle suction. The bulb should be compressed at all times, except when you’re emptying the drainage.

The duration of the time you’ll have your JP drain depends on your surgery and the amount of drainage you need. Everyone’s drainage time is different since some people drain a lot, while some drain a little.

The JP drain is usually removed in less than 24 hours or when the drainage reaches 30ml. It’s important that you keep track of your drainage in the drainage log since you have to bring it to your next appointment.

What Is a Blake Drain?

A blake drain is made up of silicon and has four channels along the sides with a solid core center. They’re produced by Ethicons, Inc in Somerville, New Jersey.

Blake drain is a special type of silicon radiopaque drain that’s used on patients after open-heart surgery. Blake drains help patients recover from open-heart surgery by removing excess fluid around the lungs.

What Is a Round Blake Drain?

A round blake drain is around a silicon tube with channels that carry fluids to a negative pressure collection device. It allows fluid to travel through the open grooves into a closed cross-section, which allows it to be suctioned through the tubes.

Are Blake Drain and Jp Drain the Same?

Just like a Jp drain, a blake drain has a more narrow internal section, which makes it more comfortable for the patients when pulled out that has a blue line along the tube. This is how you identify the difference between a blake drain and JP.

Generally, JP drain continues draining for one to five weeks when drainage is below 25ml per day or for two days in a row. Keep track and note the duration so your surgical team specifies the best time to remove the drain. You need to take care after Jp draining, which requires daily milking of the tubing and pouring out of the fluid contents.

The JP drain device is similar to a bulb. It’s a bulb-shaped device connected to a tube. During surgery, one end of the tube is connected inside the body and the other end comes out through a small cut in the skin.

The end coming out of the skin is connected to this bulb which creates negative pressure and works as a vacuum, which collects fluids. The JP drain creates suction in the tube which helps in removing the fluids.

The two most popular and common drains I’ve heard of JP drains are accordion drains and wound vacuums, also known as wound vacs. The JP and accordion drains have sections produced by compressing the drainage container. On the other hand, the wound vac is hooked up to a suction container with continuous settings.

Is It Jp or Is It a Blake?

A Jp drain is generally used for smaller wounds and injuries. It usually drains wounds that need drainage of 25ml to 50ml. The drainage site is covered with a sterile dressing to avoid any sort of leaking and to ensure that the drain is working effectively.

JP drain was introduced in the medical industry around 40 years ago. Because of its credibility and effectiveness in healthcare, JP provides confidence in product performance. It makes sure that you provide the best healthcare to your patients and deliver what you promised.

The JP drain tube used for patients is flat or round and soft, it comes in two different canister sizes which allow the capacity of either 100ml or 400ml. JP drain is inserted in the mediation and used on patients with cardiac transplants.

The Blake drains are white in color. It’s a radiopaque silicone drain that has four channels along with a solid core center. Other components of the Blake drain are a silicone hub, a silicone extension tubing, and an adapter. The drain comes in two types, it’s available with full fluted (hub inside the skin) and with or without trocar. And the other one is 3/4 fluted (hub outside the skin).

Improve Wound Drainage With BLAKE Drains

How Often Should a JP Drain Be Emptied?

JP drain should be emptied two times a day, in the morning and in the evening you should note the amount of drainage on your JP drainage log at the end.

Here’re some instructions that can give you a clear idea about how to empty your JP drain:

Prepare a clean area to work on and gather all your supplies that you would need to empty the JP drain.
Clean your hands and remove the bulb if it’s attached to your surgical bra or wrap.
Unplug the stopper on the top of the bulb without touching the inside of the stopper and turn the bulb upside down and squeeze it.
Squeeze the bulb until it’s fully emptied and you can feed the palm of your hands with your fingers.
Check the amount and color of the designer in your measuring container and note it down.
Dispose of the designer and wash your container.

What Various Types of Drains Are Used in Surgeries?

A blake drain is around a silicon device that carries fluids to a negative pressure collection device. Drainage is achieved by capillary action, suction is created through the tube, which allows the fluid to travel through the open grooves into a closed crossed section.

Bile drain is another drainage procedure that helps to define extra bile in your body. When bile blocks the bile duct, it can back up into the liver, causing jaundice. A biliary drain is a thin, hollow tube with numerous holes along the sides. The drain helps to flow bile more efficiently.

Another drainage procedure is known as lumber drain. It’s a small soft plastic tube placed in the lower back in the arachnoid space to drain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). It’s used to drain some of the cerebrospinal fluid that fills the brain ventricles and encircles the brain and spinal cord.

A hemovac drain is a drainage method that’s used to remove fluids that build up in an area of your body after your surgery. A hemovac drain is a circular appliance that’s connected to a tube. One end of the tube is placed inside your body during your surgery and the other end comes out of your body through a cut in your skin, called a drain site. The device is connected to the end that comes out of your body.

Conclusion

The use of surgical drains is quite important and common in all types of surgeries. And we hardly take time out to find out about the history of the drains that are being used during surgery.

It’s totally a matter of a surgeon’s choice to use any drain in surgery. Every surgeon should know about the two most common drains used in surgeries, that’s the JP drain and the Blake drain. These two are the most used drains in surgeries, creating negative pressure and helping in suction.

Both drains are least likely to have any difference. Blake drain has four channels with a solid center and JP drain has a round tube with perforation. JP drain must have to be emptied two times a day.

These drains are used all over the body in several surgical procedures. The developments and differences between these two drains are barely known by surgeons.