Port-a-Cath question

[maelstrom143]

While changing the huber on a port-a-cath, you notice serous drainage coming from the access site of the port-a-cath and the disc is saturated. You culture the fluid and send it to the lab. Next, would you reaccess the cath until results came back? Port-a-cath still has excellent blood return.

I vote for deaccessing the site pending micro results, getting a peripheral line for any IV therapy needed, and getting a dye study to ensure placement and patency. What do you think?

[IVRUS, BSN, RN]

While changing the huber on a port-a-cath, you notice serous drainage coming from the access site of the port-a-cath and the disc is saturated. You culture the fluid and send it to the lab. Next, would you reaccess the cath until results came back? Port-a-cath still has excellent blood return.

I vote for deaccessing the site pending micro results, getting a peripheral line for any IV therapy needed, and getting a dye study to ensure placement and patency. What do you think?

Question I would seek answers too include:

1. What is the patient's plt count?

2. Are their signs and symptoms of a local or systemic infection in the pt?

3. Does the patient have sub Q swelling, say for instance from CHF?

4. Is the exudate lymph secretions? If so, has this port been recently placed?

I too would wait to see what the lab states the fluid is and then determine why before accessing it again. As long as it's heparinized (non-valved port) reaccessing doesn't need to occur for another month. And then as long as the therapy can go via peripheral line, use it. I'd hold off on the dye study till lab gives me results.

[maelstrom143]

Thanks. PLT WNL, no s/s infection, no SQ swelling. I wondered if lymph or fractured cath, which is why I wanted study, but was told to wait for results :) Very glad we did ok.