Instructed patient When to seek medical care: Call your provider right away if you have any of the following: Pain or burning in your shoulder, chest, back, arm, or leg, Fever of 100.4°F (38.0°C) or higher, chills, signs of infection at the catheter site (pain, redness, drainage, burning, or stinging), Coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath.
Instructed patient what should you know about caring for your midline catheter: Loop extra tubing: If you have long tubing attached to your catheter, loosely loop the tubing together, and secure it with tape. This will help prevent the PICC or midline catheter from being pulled out of your arm by accident.
Instructed patient check your skin where the catheter enters it every day. Look for signs of infection and other problems. Instructed patient call your health care provider if you: Have bleeding, redness or swelling at the PICC line or Midline site, have pain near the site or in your arm, have signs of infection (fever, chills), are short of breath.
Skilled nurse performed PICC line dressing change , prepare to change your dressing in a sterile (very clean) way , Remove the dressing and check patient's skin, clean the area and catheter, place a new dressing, Tape the catheter to secure it and write down the date you changed your dressing.
Instructed patient about when should you seek immediate help? Call nurse or go to the emergency room if: The area around where the catheter enters your skin looks red, feels warm or painful, or it is oozing fluid. You see a red line going up your arm from the place where the catheter enters your skin. Your arm will also be painful.
Instructed patient flush PICC line after and before the procedure, resistance to flushing may indicate partial or complete catheter occlusion. Do not proceed with power injection study until occlusion has been cleared.
Instructed patient catheters that present resistance to flushing and aspiration may be partially or completely occluded. Do not flush against resistance. If the lumen will neither flush nor aspirate and it has been determined that the catheter is occluded with blood, a declotting procedure per nurse may be appropriate.
Instructed patient assess PICC line site, line note any leakage from catheter or around the site. Note any redness, drainage or pain at the site.
Instructed patient if you have Fever, chills, tenderness, redness, or pus at the catheter site, Swollen arm, Check your child’s temperature and call the doctor right away.
Instructed patient maintaining a clean and dry dressing is paramount to a continued well functioning PICC line.