Central Line Care at Home
Learn how to confidently and safely manage your central line from the comfort of home with this step-by-step video series from Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters. Covering everything from flushing techniques and antibiotic infusion, to sterile setup and dressing changes, these comprehensive modules guide both caregivers and patients through each critical procedure — helping ensure best practices and reduce potential complications.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Central Line Infections
If your child has a central line (central venous catheter), they may be at increased risk for infection. Catheter-associated bloodstream infections (often called CLABSIs) can occur when bacteria or other germs travel along the central line and enter the bloodstream.
The good news is that many of these infections are preventable with careful monitoring and proper care. In this FAQ section, you’ll learn what central line infections are, how they happen, and the steps you can take to help protect your child.
- The central line has come in contact with body fluids like: stool, drool, vomit, dirt, or water.
- Central line supplies were incorrectly stored with non-central line supplies such as:
- Diapers
- Ostomy supplies
- G-tube feeding supplies
- Touching central line without washing hands.
- Not adequately scrubbing central line cap before connecting a medication or fluids.
If your child develops a catheter-associated bloodstream infection they may become very ill with fevers and chills or the skin around the catheter may become sore and red.
Appropriately handling the central line decreases the risk of infection.
Some infections cannot be prevented. This can happen when normal bacteria moves from the intestines to the blood stream, which can happen in some illnesses.
- Yes, a catheter-associated infection is serious, but can often be successfully treated with antibiotics.
- Some catheters may need to be removed if your child develops an infection that does not improve with
antibiotic treatment.
- Do not let family and friends who visit touch the catheter or tubing.
- Clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub every time you touch your child’s line.
- Inform the nurse or doctor if the area around your child’s catheter is red or if they tell you it is sore.
- An important part of caring for a line at home is to routinely look at it throughout the day to make sure it is clean, dry, and intact.
- Clean your hands, wear gloves, and scrub the cap on the end of the catheter with an antiseptic solution every time before using the catheter to give medications or hang solutions.
- Carefully handle medications and fluids that are given
through the catheter.
If your child’s dressing comes off or becomes wet or dirty, tell the home health nurse. If you have been taught how to change the central line dressing, change it immediately.
Clean your hands and wear gloves when changing the dressing that covers the area where the catheter enters your child’s skin.
When changing your child’s central line dressing, clean their skin with a special antiseptic solution (chlorhexidine gluconate-CHG) that kills germs. Povidone-iodine is another antiseptic solution that may be used if the mpatient is not able to have CHG on the skin.
Make sure you understand how to care for the catheter before leaving the hospital. For example, ask for instructions on showering or bathing with the catheter and how to change the catheter dressing.
Make sure you know who to contact about the care of your child’s catheter if you have questions or problems after you get home.
Watch for the signs and symptoms of catheter-associated bloodstream infection:
- Redness
- Drainage
- Swelling
- Soreness
- Fevers (should be treated as an