Cutdown????

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Can someone please explain to me what a cut down is? I was pulled to the ccu and my pt lost their IV and they did a cut down to place one and I still don't understand what it is

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I don't know. Never heard of it either.

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Specializes in SICU.

It is when they can't find a vein and cut down into the tissue with a scalpel to find a vein.

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Wow. That seems a little extreme with a high risk of bleeding and infection. It seems like there are a lot of other options before doing that - like placing a central line. ????

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that makes sense!!! Pt had a femoral line and it was pulled due to infection...at tthe time they thought he was septic so hmm I don't know why not another central line.. the doc kept saying no more centrals..

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Cutdowns used to be really common in pedi criticals, before IO's.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

Maybe ask your doc? A cutdown was generally a last resort in my unit.

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Sounds like the pt. is gonna die. Cut-downs should be like very last resort. Should be history like last resort. The doctor was probably concerned about infection (systemic). Now, he just gave another link to the infection chain. Wasn't there. I feel that the nurse should have advocated for a ID consult and new central line (in OR). Since the doctor probably didn't use sterile technique on the first one, he is probably worried about introducing more bugs on his second try. Now, he has introduced the outside to the inside. :uhoh3:

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Specializes in Pediatrics (Burn ICU, CVICU).
Sounds like the pt. is gonna die. Cut-downs should be like very last resort. Should be history like last resort. The doctor was probably concerned about infection (systemic). Now, he just gave another link to the infection chain. Wasn't there. I feel that the nurse should have advocated for a ID consult and new central line (in OR). Since the doctor probably didn't use sterile technique on the first one, he is probably worried about introducing more bugs on his second try. Now, he has introduced the outside to the inside. :uhoh3:

Yeah, but one of the risks of having a CVL placed is infection. Granted a break in sterile technique could cause this, however, just because it is infected doesn't mean that sterile technique was broken during placement.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

He did say "probably" - and it is the most common reason in most of the evidence-based literature I've seen.

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Specializes in Pediatrics (Burn ICU, CVICU).
He did say "probably" - and it is the most common reason in most of the evidence-based literature I've seen.

That really surprises me.

I had read (sorry, I don't have the article link any longer) several months ago in the American Journal of Infection Control that not changing the overwire/guidewire frequently enough was the most contributing cause of infection in a CVL.

Thanks for the info.

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Specializes in Med/Surg & ICU.

In ATLS I was taught to do cutdowns, but this should only be used after a peripheral/central/intraosseous access attempt has failed. The most common place to do a cutdown is at the great saphenous (sp?) vein at the ankle. If you're doing a cutdown, infection is the last thing you are worried about. At this point saving the person's life is the priority.

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