Chlorhexidine caps

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Is there any literature that supports just the use of the chlorhexidine caps. Or should the IV port also be cleaned with alcohol after the chlorhexidine cap is removed when the port is being accessed? I can't find literature on this.

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Specializes in Oncology.

I've never seen chlorahexadine caps, only isopropyl alcohol ones (Curos, Swab Cap). Our policy is not to do any further alcohol scrubbing after the cap is removed, as long as the cap has been on the minimum required duration to disinfect, per manufacturers' recommendations. The risk is greater that you'll recontaminate when reaching for the alcohol wipe, opening it, etc than the benefit that you may kill further germs.

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Specializes in critical care.

We use alcohol caps whenever they order them instead of plain flushes. I love them. I didn't know there were chlorhexadine ones. I hope we don't get them because I'm terribly allergic.

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