Safety Tips
- Do not give more pain medicine than is ordered for the patient. Call the doctor if the pain medicine is not working.
- Wash your hands thoroughly before and after you change a dressing.
- When you change a dressing and a drain is present, be very careful. Do not pull the drain out and do not try to push the drain back in if it does fall out. If the drain falls out, place a clean gauze over the wound and call the doctor for further instruction.
- When a person is oozing bright red blood from a surgical wound, call the surgeon.
- Be sure the person takes all of the medicines he or she is prescribed after surgery.