The Teaching Book IV Therapy Catheter Care Flushing

catheter care (flushing with regular syringes)

page 5

12. Put the needle and syringe in a sharps container. If you don’t have one, use a hard plastic or metal container with a screw-on or tightly secured lid. Do not use containers with soft, plastic lids.

When the container is 3/4 full, put heavy duty tape around the lid to make sure it is secure. Make sure it won’t leak from the sides or bottom. Throw away sealed container.

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FO Do not put any sharp objects in NOT containers you plan to recycle. Do not use glass or clear or soft, plastic containers. You may want to label the container “NOT FOR RECYCLING.” Check with your local authorities about BIOH AZAR D rules for the disposal of sharps. Some regions require approved containers.

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13. Put alcohol wipes and gloves in a plastic trash bag, and throw away.

14. Wash and dry your hands well. Use an antibacterial soap and warm water, or a waterless alcohol-based hand rub.

© Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc., Atlanta, GA From The Teaching Book. Use restricted by license agreement.

catheter care (flushing with regular syringes)

page 4

8. Wipe the injection cap/valve with a new alcohol pad. Use friction and allow to dry.

9. Put needle straight into the center of the injection cap/ valve. If needleless, attach syringe to injection cap/valve.

Check for blood return by pulling back on the plunger until you see blood.

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10. Slowly inject the fluid into the catheter. If you meet resistance, stop and call the nurse. Do not force fluid into the injection cap/valve.* Release the catheter clamp.

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11. Remove the needle or syringe from the injection cap/valve. Reclamp the catheter.

* If you have any problems, call the nurse.

Nurse name

phone number

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catheter care (flushing with regular syringes)

page 3

3. Remove cap from needle. (Never touch needle with your hands.)

Pull plunger out to number of cubic centimeters of fluid needed ( ____________ cubic centimeters or milliliters).

4. With plunger pulled back, push needle into bottle. Then push plunger in. This injects air into bottle. (If you don’t inject air, a vacuum occurs and makes it harder to draw up the fluid.)

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5. Turn bottle up. Pull plunger back until syringe fills with correct dose of fluid ( _____________ cubic centimeters or milliliters).

6. Remove syringe from bottle.

Check fluid in syringe for air bubbles. If there are bubbles, tap syringe until they are all at the top.

Slowly push the plunger to get them out. (They won’t hurt you, but bubbles may keep you from getting the right amount of fluid.)

7. If needed, put needle back into bottle, and pull plunger to get the right amount of fluid.

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catheter care (flushing with regular syringes)

page 2

The nurse will tell you how often to flush the catheter and change the injection cap/valve.

Flush catheter every__________________________.

Change injection cap/valve every________________.

Flushing with sterile saline and/or heparin

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Supplies you need: ❏ gloves

❏ plastic trash bag

❏ syringe(s)

❏ sharps container

❏ bottle of sterile saline

❏ other:

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❏ bottle of heparin ❏ alcohol pads

To flush the catheter and draw up the saline or heparin, follow these steps: 1. Wash your hands with an antibacterial soap and dry well. You may use a waterless alcohol-based hand rub, if your hands are not dirty.

Use infection control guidelines.

(Ask the nurse for information on how to do this.) Put on clean exam gloves.

Do not use the same syringe to flush more than 1 port.

2. Wipe the top of the fluid bottle with an alcohol pad. Use friction and allow to dry.

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Catheter care (flushing with regular syringes) To keep the catheter clear you will need to rinse (flush) it with one of these: • sterile saline (salt water) or sodium chloride • heparin lock solution (a fluid that keeps the blood from clotting in the catheter) The nurse will tell you which to use and how often.

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Make sure you can tell the difference between the heparin and saline. Always read the labels to make sure you have the right fluid and the right amount.

SALINE

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Saline label reads:

Amount to use:

HEPARIN

Heparin label reads:

lock solution

Amount to use: You may get heparin and/or sterile saline in small bottles or prefilled syringes. If a prefilled syringe is not available, you can take a small piece of tape and label each syringe with the medicine name and dose as you fill it.

Continued on next page. © Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc., Atlanta, GA From The Teaching Book. Use restricted by license agreement.