Canterbury DHB
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There is one fibrous cuff, 7 mm long and located just inside the exit site. Feel the catheter and try to palpate the cuff. Inject local anaesthetic (with adrenaline) around the cuff. Sometimes with a catheter that has been recently placed the cuff may not be embedded in the tissue. In these cases, the catheter may be removed by simple traction.
The catheter tip should be sent for culture if there is a clinical indication such as fever.
If the cuff is located too far from the exit site to be reached from there by blunt dissection, make an incision along the line of the catheter, over the cuff. Use blunt dissection to locate the catheter and cuff. Clamp the catheter above the cuff and separate cuff from surrounding tissue.
This may require gentle use of the scalpel. If necessary, cut through the catheter below the cuff and pull the distal catheter out through the exit site. Take hold of the clamp and gently pull the proximal catheter while applying pressure to the site where the catheter enters the vein. Suture the wound. Apply a sandbag if oozing continues.
At the end of the procedure, place sharps into sharps bin and removal pack equipment into the ‘blue bin’ in the sluice room for return to sterile services for replacement.
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Topic Code: 6579
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