Hi, this has probably been addressed before but I cant find anything recent. When changing the cap on the VAD, do you clean the hub of the VAD with alcohol or chloraprep? Or if there is no visible debris do you just put a new cap on using the no touch technique? I searched the INS standards and couldn't find an answer. Thanks in advance!
This is not addressed because there are no studies on the agent or technique, etc. Yes the hub and accummulated debris (dried blood, drup precipitate, skin oils) can accummulated on the female catheter hub and this has been recognized as a problem from studies as far back as the middle 1990's. That was about the time that concern began to grown about infections associated with needleless connectors and no one has ever studied actually cleaning the catheter hub. I do not that many hospitals have written this into their policy and procedures. Alcohol can be a solvent for some plastics and CHG products contain alcohol. So contact the clinical dept of the device manufacturer you are using and get their written information about what they recommend for agents to clean their device. All plastics can vary from brand to brand.
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
Thanks so much Lynn!