What are your IV site change policies?

Kimburly · Dec 22, 2002

We change peripheral IVs every 72 hours, except you can get 24 hour extensions up to 144 hours if there are no problems at the site. I work pedi onc so most of our kids have central lines, dressings on hickmans and accessed ports are changed Mon, Wed, Fri and whenever wet or soiled or falling off. We use clean technique, not sterile, with a low rate of site infections. Parents are taught to change central line dressings on hickmans. PICC dressings are changed twice a week, typically Mon, Thurs, except they always need changing more often because nothing stays put on an antecubital site! We have a checkbox on our nursing flow sheets for dressing appearance and change for documentation Q shift.

Pretzlgl · Dec 22, 2002

At my old job - q72 hour IV changes. qday central line drsg changes, field IV's immediately upon admit to ICU...

Pretzlgl · Dec 22, 2002

Oh, and monitoring was per charting and protocol on the unit. If you said you did it , it was done...

RNonsense · Dec 22, 2002

(Canadian Standards, eh) We change IV sites q72h here...Central line drsgs incl. PICC's are q7days. We have a new nifty securing device that works great....even in the ACF.

Uptoherern, RN · Dec 22, 2002

Q 72 HOURS FOR PERIPHERAL, WITHING 24 HOURS FOR FIELD STICKS, Q 72 HOURS FOR CENTRAL LINES.

deespoohbear · Dec 22, 2002

Originally posted by Pretzlgl
At my old job - q72 hour IV changes. qday central line drsg changes, field IV's immediately upon admit to ICU...

You changed CL dressings every day? Wow!! I thought the recommendation was the first time 24 hours after insertion and then Q week and prn.....Boy changing them every day would be a real pain in the backside.... :eek:

AHarri66, BSN, RN · Dec 22, 2002

It's q72 for peripheral IV changes; q96 & prn for central/PICC/midline dressing changes at our house.

Of course, there are quite a few we pray over q8!

AHarri66, BSN, RN · Dec 22, 2002

Originally posted by deespoohbear
You changed CL dressings every day? Wow!! I thought the recommendation was the first time 24 hours after insertion and then Q week and prn.....Boy changing them every day would be a real pain in the backside....

Wouldn't that open up the site for more risk of infection? With the difference in technique, and opening the site to air on a daily basis, I would think so. :confused:

ruby360 · Dec 22, 2002

IV sites and IV tubing Q96h. Within 24 hours for field IVs. Central line dressing Q96h and PRN. Port-a-Cath dressings every 7 days and PRN. Documentation is on flowsheet.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 22, 2002

The last year we've gone from q72 to q96 based on current reasearch and literature (I hope) for both central and peripheral sites. However, with an MD order if a person is a hard stick and there are no complications we will extend the 96 hours up to 48 more hours (but that isn't often).

I never thought of field sticks being changed within 24 hours. But that's probably not a bad idea with those monster 16 guages they use in trauma patients.

baseline · Dec 22, 2002

Wow, what a great response...thank you. Our hospital is looking at developing an IV team, and we are looking at the policies. I wondered what everyone else was doing!

We change peripheral IV sites q72h, field IV q24h, and change CL,PICC etal drsgs q72h. So I guess we are in line with everyone else! I need to check into the 96 hr. standard.........that would be a blessing .... for the staff AND the patients!!!

So....Do you have an IV team? If you have one...do you like it? If you don't....do you wish you did?