Central Venous Catheter (CVC) Sterile Dressing Change (The James)
Central Venous Catheter (CVC) Sterile Dressing Change (The James)
A dressing protects your catheter site and helps reduce the risk of infection. You will need to use sterile technique when doing your dressing change.
The nurse will put a check next to the type of dressing for your catheter site.
_____Tegaderm CHG (Chlorhexidine Gluconate)
_____Plain transparent adhesive dressing
_____Gauze dressing
Check Your Dressing Each Day
- It is important to keep your dressing clean and dry at all times.
- Be sure the edges are not lifting off the skin.
- If you have a CHG dressing, press lightly on the gel pad with your finger. If you remove your finger and there is still a dent in the dressing where your finger was, the dressing should be changed.
How Often a Dressing Needs to be Changed
The nurse will put a check next to how often you are to change your dressing.
_____Change every seven days or as soon as possible if it is wet, soiled, loose, or open to air.
_____Change every other day or as soon as possible if it is wet, soiled, loose, or is opened to air.
Supplies Needed For a Dressing Change
To change your catheter dressing, you will need:
- A Sterile Dressing Kit with these items:
- Sterile gloves
- Paper sheet
- 2 alcohol swab sticks in package
- Chloraprep swab stick (Chlorhexidine with alcohol)
- 2 x 2 gauze pads
- Skin barrier film pad
- Tegaderm™ CHG dressing with tapes
- A mask (You and your caregiver may be told to wear a mask while doing this dressing change. If this is the case, you will need more than one mask.)
Your Patient Care Resource Manager (PCRM) will arrange for your supplies to be delivered to your room prior to discharge or to your home.
How to Clean the Work Area
You will need these supplies to clean the work area:
- Disinfectant household spray cleaner or a disinfectant wipe
- Paper towels, if using spray cleaner
- Plastic trash bag or trash can
How to Prepare For a Dressing Change
- Prepare the work area by cleaning the surface with disinfectant cleaner. Let it air dry.
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- If you and your caregiver should wear masks, put them on now.
- Open the outer plastic bag holding the sterile dressing kit. Place the sterile kit on the clean surface. Take the outer cover off the sterile kit. Use this as a trash bag for the old dressing.
How to Remove a Dressing
Follow the instructions below for how to remove the type of dressing on your catheter site.
Tegaderm CHG Dressing
- The dressing will be very sticky. To help loosen the dressing as you remove it and to keep from pulling out the catheter, you may use one of following:
- Alcohol wipes
- Sterile saline in a syringe or sterile saline soaked gauze
- Gently and slowly peel back the dressing. When peeling back the dressing, it is helpful to place a thumb or forefinger on the gel pad to keep it together. Slowly peel back and moisten the edge of the gel pad with the alcohol swab to loosen it.
- If parts of the gel come off the dressing, remove it with a sterile saline soaked gauze.
- Throw the old dressing into the plastic bag. Remove the gloves and throw them in the plastic bag too.
Plain Transparent Adhesive Dressing or Gauze Dressing
- Begin to take the old dressing off by loosening the edge of the transparent dressing (or the tape if it is a gauze dressing).
- Start at the edge away from the exit site of the catheter and lift the edge of the dressing or tape. Peel the dressing off. You may use an alcohol wipe to help loosen the dressing as you remove it.
- Throw the old dressing into the plastic bag. Remove the gloves and throw them in the plastic bag too.
Care of the Catheter Site
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Note: You may be told to use the skin barrier film pad to protect your skin under the dressing. Use the pad to paint a square around the exit site. Start one-inch away from where the catheter comes out from your skin. Do not put the skin barrier on or near the exit site. Fill in from the square out to where the edge of the dressing will be placed. |
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How to Put On a Tegaderm CHG DressingNote: If you are using a Plain Transparent Adhesive dressing you should also follow these steps.
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How to Put On a Gauze Dressing
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© November 15, 2023. The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.
This handout is for informational purposes only. Talk with your doctor or health care team if you have any questions about your care.
Last Revised: 11/15/2023
Author: OSUWMC
Medical Review: Patient Education