If a PICC line is placed and a sterile folded 2x2 is placed at the insertion site followed by a transparent dressing due to oozing of blood, is there any reason why the dressing can't be changed in 24 hours if there is no further evidence of bleeding? At the 24 hour dressing change, the biopatch can then be placed and a transparent dressing applied....is this an acceptable practice?
The 2011 INS Standards of Practice state that a gauze dressing is to be changed q48hrs or prn but need feedback regarding this practice.
Thank you in advance for your responses!
Any time a dressing is wet with blood, etc, dirty or nonadherent it must be changed immediately. So this dressing must be changed ASAP. You have described the common practice of change in 24 hours. A better practice is to use a coagulant product to prevent the bleeding such as Guardiva or Bioseal. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Your hospital policy is what you need to follow. Whenever there is a soiled gauze dressing it needs to be changed, that is best practice, and would be covered under the PRN of the INS Standards.
Chris Cavanaugh, RN, BSN, CRNI, VA-BC