Download for Central Venous Access Device

• Swelling of the throat and mouth
• Difficulty in swallowing or speaking
• Alterations in heart rate
• Severe asthma or shortness of breath
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sudden weakness or floppiness
Any of these symptoms are signs of a
serious reaction Dial 999 immediately
What will happen at the end of my
treatment?
The hospital or IV Nurse will arrange
removal of your CVAD when your course of
IV therapy is finished. A dry sterile dressing
will be applied, which you can remove after
48 hours.
A letter will be sent to your GP to say that
your course of IV therapy has finished.
CONTACT DETAILS FOR THE
COMMUNITY NURSES:
Monday to Sunday 7am to 7pm
Night Nurses Mon-Sun 7pm – 7am
If you want to complain or raise
concerns about the service, you receive:
If you have any concerns about the
service the Community Nursing Team
provide, contact our Patient Advice &
Liaison Service (PALS) on free phone
0800 953 0363.The purpose of PALS is
to respond to your concerns and ensure
that any lessons learnt, or indeed
examples of good practice, are shared
throughout the organisation If PALS are
unable to resolve your concerns, and you
wish to make a formal complaint, they will
be able to signpost you to the formal
complaints process.
Other sources of health advice:
111 is a telephone service which is
available 24 hours a day, every day of
the year and is intended for 'urgent but
not life-threatening' health issues.
Sharing information:
Hounslow & Richmond Community
Healthcare (HRCH) will need to record
relevant details for audit and monitoring
purposes. Under the Data Protection Act,
they have a legal duty to keep all patient
information confidential. Under the Act,
the information may be divulged only
under strict, controlled circumstances and
must be held securely. The organisation
has a confidentiality procedure and
policy, which ensures that any patient
information held is fully protected.
04/03/2014
Community
Intravenous
(IV) Therapy
Service
Patient
Information
Leaflet
For Central Venous
Access Device
Please read this information
carefully and keep it in a safe place
What is Intravenous (IV) Therapy?
IV Therapy is the term used when medication
is given to you directly into a vein.
How will the medication be given?
In order for us to give you medication,
fluids or blood into a vein, it is necessary
for you to have a Central Vascular
Access device (CVAD) commonly known
as a PICC line, Hickman Line or Portacath.
The CVAD allows us to give you medicines
directly into your bloodstream, without
needing to give you a separate injection
each time.
Questions & Answers
I thought that you had to be in hospital
to have IV medications?
Community IV therapy services can be
of significant benefit to both patients and
the NHS. They can prevent hospital
admissions and facilitate early
discharge, improve patient safety by
reducing the risk of infection and
improve choice by enabling patients to
stay in their homes.
Who will give my IV medications and
care for me?
A Community Nurse will either come to your
home to care for your CVAD, observe your
condition and give your IV medications or
you can attend a treatment room.
Will I need to see a doctor?
A letter will be sent to your GP when you start
IV therapy. If you need to see a doctor during
your treatment the nurse will arrange this.
Are there any risks to receiving IV
therapy at home?
As with any invasive procedure, there is a
small risk i.e. infection and line complications.
Air Embolism: Air may enter the blood
vessel. This may produce symptoms such as
decreased blood pressure; confusion,
increased heart rate, chest pain or shortness
of breath.
Infection: It is possible for an infection to
develop either inside the vessel or
surrounding the line insertion site. The
symptoms include; fever, chills, fatigue,
decreased blood pressure, redness, swelling
or purulent drainage at site.
Phlebitis: This is inflammation of the vein
where the line is inserted. The symptoms
include; redness, pain at access site or
purulent drainage.
Blocked line: Occasionally a line can
become blocked. The nurse will try to unblock
the line in the home; however, if this is not
possible you may have to return to the
hospital for this to be carried out.
What benefits are there with a CVAD?
Some drugs cannot be given through a
peripheral cannula. A CVAD can stay in for
several weeks or months. It can also be used
to take blood samples saving you from
repeated needle pricks.
How can I help to care for my
CVAD?
You can help to prevent infection in the
following ways:
• Avoid touching the device and the
dressing.
• Report any redness, pain or swelling
to the Community Nurse immediately.
• Try to keep the dressing clean and dry.
Cover when showering with cling film
• Avoid heavy lifting.
What if I feel unwell?
If any of the following symptoms occur,
phone your Community Nurse as soon as
possible for advice and further
assessment.

If you begin to feel unwell with high
fever, shivering/shaking, vomiting or
dizziness.

If the arm is red, feels hot, swollen
or painful
You may need to go back to hospital for
further treatment.
Some medicines may cause side effects such
as stomach upset, diarrhoea, vomiting and
skin reactions. Anaphylaxis although rare is
a severe allergic reaction to a substance
which your body perceives as a threat.
Severe reactions to IV medications happen to
about 1 person in every 15,000 per year.
Symptoms often occur within minutes of
exposure to the drug, but sometimes can
occur after several hours. They can include:
• Generalised flushing of the skin
• Nettle rash (hives) anywhere on the body