Does anyone know of any literature about the fact that there does not need to be a 24 hour dressing change post PICC insertion if dressing looks ok. We took over the vascular access service at our hospital last April and we are trying to redo policies, orders, etc. the old group a home care agency that was contracted here used to leave 3 cm ECL and place guaze without a biopatch and they would do a 24 hour dressing change, so that is currently on our order sheet. We have always crossed that off and we don't leave ECL unless we are long, and we place the biopatch on right then and there and we usually don't have any trouble with bleeding etc. Obviously if need be we change the dressing if soiled at 24 hours or whenever. So we want to remove the 24 hr change on our order sheet but we need supporting literature if any one knows where we can find it. Thanks.
CDC guidelines 2002 do not require 24 hour change for PICC
Contact Slyvia Pyc at Bard on the clinical hotline and see what the literature states for PICC lines 800-443-5505 I believe option 5
I think it states follow the institutions guidelines as INS states in their P/P manual. I would than follow the CDC guidelines
Kathy Kokotis
Bard Access Systems