When a vesicant is administered via a central line, how many hospitals are assessing the insertion site as part of your infusion assessment. What if the site is not visible, due to various dressings such as biopatch, surgicel, gauze etc. We educate our staff about tip placement, blood return and flushing without resistance. The 2016 INS standards do recommend site assessment. Again just asking what people are doing when the CVC site is not visible.
There is no need to remove these dressings just to be able to see the puncture site. Assess the area through the dressing, palpate the area, observe for any fluid leakage. If present, this would require dressing removal and further investigation. Resistance to flushing and lack of blood return are the most important problems indicating a nonfunctioning catheter.
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