HINT: What is included in a central line emergency kit?

Connected Care Quick Hits are up to date and evidence based recommendations for the care of children with medical complexity & technology dependence, from hospital to home.

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HINT: What's in an emergency CVAD kit?

SITUATION: 

At a recent Connected Care Central Venous Access Device (CVAD) workshop, home care nurses identified that they were unsure about what is included in an emergency CVAD kit and identified that some families do not have an emergency CVAD kit at home.

RECOMMENDATION:

At the start of your shift be sure to check that families have a CVAD emergency kit! If they DO NOT have an emergency kit, create one by gathering the appropriate supplies into a zip-lock bag. Always double check the contents of the emergency kit at the start of each shift, and whenever you are travelling with the child. 

Remember: If a child has a CVAD (PICC, CVL, Port with needle in it) the emergency CVAD kit should be with the child wherever he/she goes.

Emergency CVAD Kit Contents

• Padded Clamps x 2 – to clamp the line closest to the patient if the line breaks or leaks (if you do not have clamps, you may fold the line and tape it to mimic clamping)

• New sterile cap – to use if the cap falls off (if you have a double lumen, carry 2 spare caps with you at all times)

• New sterile dressing – to use if the dressing falls off

• Alcohol swabs – to clean the exposed ends of the line

• Sterile gauze – to cover the exposed ends of the line or to apply pressure to the line exit site

• Tape – to secure gauze around the line or to fold the line in half if you do not have clamps

Contents in the emergency CVAD kit should be the same supplies the child routinely uses (E.g. there are many different sterile dressing types – the emergency CVAD kit should contain the dressing the child routinely uses)

For more information about CVAD care including what to do if the CVAD line breaks, please click on this link!