Ambulate with Femoral Lines

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

does anyone have a policy allowing patients to ambulate with femoral lines? has anyone seen any literature that indicates this is ok?

[WalkieTalkie, RN]

I am currently reviewing our lines policy for update, and I haven't seen any recommendations about ambulating patient's with femoral lines. Are you referring to arterial or central lines? I personally wouldn't walk anyone with a femoral art line, and I'd be somewhat hesitant with a venous line (especially if the patient was anticoagulated).

I'll keep looking and see if I can find anything.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i am currently reviewing our lines policy for update, and i haven't seen any recommendations about ambulating patient's with femoral lines. are you referring to arterial or central lines? i personally wouldn't walk anyone with a femoral art line, and i'd be somewhat hesitant with a venous line (especially if the patient was anticoagulated).

i'll keep looking and see if i can find anything.

i've already found a policy that prohibits ambulating with femoral arterial lines, sheaths and balloon pumps. i have yet to find a solid policy on central venous lines with femoral insertions however.

[CABGx4, ASN, BSN, MSN, CRNA]

If they are healthy enough to ambulate, the femoral line (arterial or venous) needs to be dc'd and access moved a little further north. Femoral lines should be for emergency access and kept in for the shortest time possible.

[Zookeeper3]

we have a policy that all emergent femoral venous lines be changed out in 24 hours. Due to difficult vascular issues this is not always possible and seems to be becoming more common with our patient population.

Because we have many vascular nightmares where the femoral VENOUS line can't be alternated, we regularly ambulate them to the chair and commode with a TLC or QLC.

Now, arterial lines are obviously a no no, even with those on continuous thrombolytics for clot formation that need the activity to prevent pneumonia, they stay in bed with an incentive spiromiter until special procedures clears them after sheath removal.

All our femoral venous lines walk, get to the chair and the commode, asap.

[BlessedMomRN]

Unless the patient could walk on their hands, I'd tell the doctor who wrote the order that they may ambulate the patient.

[MatthewRN]

i've already found a policy that prohibits ambulating with femoral arterial lines, sheaths and balloon pumps. i have yet to find a solid policy on central venous lines with femoral insertions however.

i think i'd have an mi if i saw my patient with an iabp ambulating.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

evidently i've rattled the right cage, because nursing administration is "looking into their policy" with "alarm that this might be happening" and is all set to write a new policy. yay!

[aCRNAhopeful]

You were referring to venous femoral lines right? An arterial femline or artieral femoral sheath would be a terrible idea. You would need several mops to clean up that mess.

[mandarr213]

I have never heard of ambulating a patient with femoral lines. We don't even elevate the head above 10-15 degrees when femoral lines are in place and also implement strict bedrest. However, there may be hospitals out there that do have policies regarding this, I have just never heard of any.

[pawashrn]

depends on the length and flexibility of the sheath. cath lab sheaths are not designed to be flexible. long arterial sheaths used for monitoring are flexible and move with the patient, unless they have severe calcification and arterial hardening. Then you would be inviting a problem

[ShannonRN2010, BSN, RN]

Oddly enough, I just has a pt. yesterday that had a sheath AND a fem. venous line...because they couldn't find a vein to place his IV. Of course, he had to be on bedrest.