Caring for your catheter on your own may sound scary but your Coram team will teach you how to care for it so you can feel confident. If you have a catheter that stays in your body between treatments, you’ll want to learn what you should do to take care of it to help prevent problems like infections and malfunctions. Your IV catheter infuses medications, nutrition or fluids directly into your blood stream and it’s important to know how to keep it clean and ready for the next infusion.
Follow these safety tips to help prevent catheter-related problems.
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Always clean your work area before preparing your medication and supplies.
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Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Be sure to rub them together for at least 20 seconds before rinsing. Do this before and after you work with your catheter, medication and supplies.
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Scrub the catheter injection cap with an alcohol pad for 15 seconds before you connect anything.
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Never touch the end of a sterile syringe or tubing. If you do, throw the item away.
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Keep the catheter dressing and injection cap covered while bathing.
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Make sure the catheter is secured under the dressing. Don’t let the extension set or tubing dangle.
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Never use scissors, pins or other sharp objects near the catheter or tubing.
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Flush your catheter before and after infusing your treatment with the amount of saline ordered. If you feel resistance, don’t use force.
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If ordered, flush your catheter with heparin after the final saline flush.
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Clamp the catheter as your nurse showed you. Flushing and clamping in the right order is important.
Call your nurse right away if you:
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Feel pain or see redness, swelling or drainage on the skin around the IV catheter site
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Notice your catheter is hard to flush
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Have a temperature greater than 100.4°F, notice sweating, body aches and/or chills, especially when you flush the catheter or infuse your medication
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Notice leaking when you flush the catheter or infuse your medication
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See an increase in the length of the catheter outside your body
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Notice your IV dressing is loose or soiled
We’re here to help you stay safe and feel confident about your IV catheter care. Call your Coram nurse with any questions or concerns.
This information is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Talk to your doctor or health care provider about your medical condition and prior to starting any new treatment. Coram assumes no liability whatsoever for the information provided or for any diagnosis or treatment made as a result.
Your privacy is important to us. Our employees are trained regarding the appropriate way to handle your private health information.