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pafrn
24 hour Dsg Chg Post PICC Placement due to sterile gauze at insertion site

 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! 

lynncrni
 Any time a dressing is wet

 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, NPD-BC, CRNI

Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.

PO Box 10

Milner, GA 30257

Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com

Office Phone 770-358-7861

Chris Cavanaugh
What is your hospital policy

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

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