Discharge Teaching on PICC line/OPAT

[LJOHRrn]

I have a patient being discharged soon with a PICC line and receiving OPAT. I have done verbal/hands on pt education at the bedside on PICC line care/medication administration, but I think visual resources would be more helpful. I have looked online for credible sources regarding discharge teaching on PICC/OPAT, and so far nothing meets my standards. Anyone have any links to good sites, preferably with pictures, providing step by step instructions on PICC line care, medication administration, etc?

Links for videos from credible sources may be accepted as well.

[IVRUS, BSN, RN]

I am a little confused with your post, because no patient should be going home with any type of IV catheter and subsequent medication and not have a pharmacy involved to provide them with the drug. In addition, they must have a nursing agency involved to TEACH them about their medication delivery and the step by steps on PICC care and when to contact the nurse. A HHA that accepts a patient without having Policies and Procedures in place to handle the patient is negligent and is NOT an agency that any patient should be sent home with.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

We recently had just such a case: a patient from VERY underserved area went home with PICC line and antibiotics. The drugs (as well as solutions, lines, etc) were to come from pharmacy but the nearest home care agency was within 30 miles and honestly saying that in case of snowstorm there can be no guarantee. Lucky for patient, one family member was going to live with him 24/7 and was young and teacheable. We went through some videos (the manufacturer of the PICC line was a good source, although it had to be officially contacted by Powers to get them for free), but there always were small inconsistencies in terms of "not precisely THIS kind" of something, which was confusing for the family member. Eventually, we filmed our own ID control RN doing dressing change on this particular patient, showed the movie to the patient and family member and for the next week that family member was doing all IV abx administration and dressing changes, - of course, with close supervision. We overdid a few things just in case - like, we stressed not only washing hands before but to use antibacterial soap and alcohol foam after it and wash the table with Chlorox and then the foam. We also collected the "trusseau" of dressing change kits, wipes, locks, gloves, etc. all being the "right" kind. Patient went home and uneventfully completed his abx.