WARNING: The information in this section is meant as a general guide to help parents and caregivers with common issues and is not intended to replace the care provided by your child’s healthcare team. 

Discuss your child’s unique needs with your healthcare team, including WHO and WHEN to contact when problems arise.

 

Redness, heat, swelling, tenderness or pain at the catheter entry site

Extended redness or itching of the skin under dressing

Cord-like sensation of the vein where the catheter is inserted (may be hard, red or tender to touch)

One or more of these symptoms: burning or pain at the entrance site of the catheter, cold skin around the entrance site of the catheter, swelling of the arm (PICC line), swelling around the catheter catheter site, leakage at catheter entry site, change in skin color (whiteness or redness) around the catheter entry site

Child with an implantable chamber catheter (eg, Port-a-Cath®): pain or swelling at the site of insertion of the reservoir during the administration of the solution or irrigation

Blood leaking at catheter insertion site

Protective dressing is wet or damp due to leakage of blood, pus or other discharge

Dressing is falling off, loose, punctured or torn

Presence of blood in catheter tubing

Medication administration time longer than usual

Leakage of the elastomeric infusion pump or bursting of the balloon

Presence of air bubbles or particles in the bag, cassette reservoir or elastomeric infusion pump

Ambulatory infusion pump alarms

Resistance or inability to irrigate (flush) the catheter

Inadvertent disconnection of the needleless connector or the pump tubing

Broken (leaking) catheter or malfunctioning equipment

External displacement of the catheter (part of the catheter outside the vein shorter or longer than usual or catheter completely removed from the vein) with or without: pain in the ear, neck or shoulder on the side of the catheter, swelling in the neck, unusual sound heard by your child on the catheter side during flushing of the catheter or administration of the medication

Unusual sound heard by your child on the catheter side during irrigation with or without: pain in the ear, throat pain

Particular odor or a strange taste reported by your child during irrigation

One or more of these symptoms: swelling of the hand, arm or side where the catheter is located, underarm pain in the arm where the catheter is located, swelling of the neck and face

Fever with or without other symptoms: ≥ 38⁰C rectal or ≥ 37.5⁰C buccal or ≥ 37.5⁰C armpit

 

For specific advice on your child or any other questions, do not hesitate to contact your child’s healthcare team.

When to consult your healthcare team

Intravenous catheter

  • The catheter entry site is red, swollen, hot or painful.
  • There is redness or itching of the skin under the dressing.
  • There is redness, sensitivity or a cord-like feeling along the vein where the catheter is inserted.
  • The skin around the entrance site of the catheter is cold or your child reports burning or pain at this location; there is swelling of the arm.
  • Swelling of the arm (PICC Line).
  • Child with an implantable chamber catheter (eg, Port-a-Cath®): pain or swelling at the site of insertion of the reservoir during the administration of the solution or irrigation.
  • There is bleeding or other leakage at the entrance site of the catheter.
  • The color of the skin is pale or red around the entrance site of the catheter.
  • Irrigation/flushing of the catheter is difficult or impossible.
  • The length of the external portion of the catheter has changed or the catheter is partially or completely removed from the vein.
  • The catheter is broken.
  • Your child hears an unusual sound during irrigation of the catheter.

Equipment for administering the medication

  • Medication takes longer than usual to administer and you cannot solve the issue easily.
  • The elastomeric bag, cassette reservoir or elastomeric infusion pump contains air bubbles or particles.
  • The needleless connector or extension tubing  is broken or disconnected.
  • A piece of equipment is broken.
  • The elastomeric infusion pump leaks or the balloon bursts.
  • You are unable to operate the ambulatory infusion pump correctly or to correct problems related to the alarms.
  • The Ambulatory Infusion Pump screen is broken or displayed incorrectly.

Dressing

  • It is damp or soiled with pus or other discharge.
  • It is peeled off, punctured or torn.

Health

Your child:

  • has fever (≥ 38⁰C rectal or ≥ 37.5⁰C buccal or ≥ 37.5⁰C armpit).
  • has a sore ear, throat, neck or shoulder on the side where the central catheter is inserted.
  • smells a particular odor or has a strange taste in the mouth during irrigation of the catheter.
  • hears an unusual sound on the side of the catheter during irrigation.
  • on the side of the catheter, has swelling in the hand, arm, neck or face.
  • has pain in the armpit (under the arm) where the catheter is located.
  • appears unwell (eg, pain, irritability, loss of appetite, drowsiness, etc).

Your child’s healthcare team will use your child’s regular appointments to verify the proper functioning of the catheter and antibiotic delivery equipment and will make adjustments to the care as required.

Do not hesitate to contact your healthcare team with any specific questions concerning your child.