Catheters

Continue Chapter 3 Diagnostic Sampling and Therapeutic

Techniques (pgs. 105-110, 574)Read pgs. 91-118

Catheters

Intravenous Catheter Placement

When intravenous fluids or drugs must be infused in large volumes, repeatedly, or continuously, a catheter is placed in the cephalic, jugular or saphenous vein.

Be familiar with catheter selection, placement, and maintenance.

Four Types of Catheters Utilized

1) Butterfly catheter-temporary catheterIndwelling Catheters:

2) OTN catheter=Over the needle catheter

3) TTN catheter=Through the needle catheter

4) Single-lumen and Multi-lumen guide-wire catheter (Detailed placement instructions come from the manufacturer for these type of catheters)

Butterfly catheters = short term administration of drugs over a few minutes or to obtain blood samples. This type of catheter usually takes less time to place compared to other traditional

catheters.

Butterfly Catheters• Used to administer small volumes of fluid

• Used to obtain small volumes of blood from critical care patients, sometimes used as a last resort

• Not left indwelling for longer than a few minutes

Indwelling Catheters• Use aseptic technique to minimize subsequent

thrombus formation, phlebitis, and infection.• Now you can shave the fur!• The skin surface is cleansed a minimum of 3 minutes

with an antimicrobial scrub and alcohol. Ideally, the skin should be in contact with the antimicrobial solution for 2 minutes.

• If it is necessary to palpate the cleansed skin area to identify the vein, the area should be rescrubbed or you must wear gloves. However, you will undoubtedly either touch the area yourself or see someone do it.

OVER THE NEEDLE CATHETERS

Come in various lengths and gauge sizes just like needles.

Catheter Flushing

• Heparinized Saline Solution (1 unit of heparin per milliliter of 0.9% saline solution)

• Flush the catheter prior to inserting into the animal.

• After insertion, verified placement by flushing the catheter prior to securing onto the leg.

• Flushing helps to prevent blood clots within the catheter lumen.

Heparin Sodium Flush

• Per Your CTVT book: Add 1 unit of Heparin to 1 ml of 0.9% NaCl to make heparin sodium flush

• Heparin Sodium comes in various quantities and units. Please read the bottle carefully and ask questions if you are in doubt of the amounts involved.

There are several variations of Heparin.

OVER THE NEEDLE CATHETERS

Without the protective covering

STYLET

CATHETER

CATHETER CASING

CATHETER COMPONENTS(Handout)

CAP OR

INJECTION PLUG

Gather your supplies

1. Appropriate catheter2. Antimicrobial scrub3. Alcohol4. Gauze sponges5. Heparinized flush6. Syringes7. Needles*

8. Injection cap/plug

9. Clippers

10. Bandage tape

11. Bandage scissors*

12. Vet wrap*

Please read in your CTVT

book pg. 106

INSERTING THE CATHETER

Puncture the skin and vein in one swift movement. If you are too gentle, the vein moves away from the catheter. Once

the vein is punctured, blood will flow through the needle that is inside the catheter and into the hub.

CAP

Injection Plugs (Caps)

This is another techniqueused to anchor thecatheter in place.

This patient’s cephalic catheter was not properly positioned within the vein during intravenous fluid administration. Fluid accumulated in the subcutaneous tissue proximal to the catheter site and resulted in swelling of the left front leg and pectoral region.

Fluid Accumulation

Tada! The finished product of all your hard work.

Removing the Catheter

• Antibiotic ointment treated gauze sponge is applied over the catheter entry site.

• Remove vetwrap/tape first, then gently pull out the catheter. You may need to apply digital pressure to the site if it begins to bleed with a gauze sponge.

• Secure the gauze sponge with vet wrap to the leg. If you do not have vet wrap, you may use bandaging tape.

• This may be left on the animal for an hour or longer if it warrants it, (not days! And in inform the owner of this please).

Supplies needed

Antibiotic ointmentGauze sponge

VetwrapBandage scissors

Hydrogen peroxide

• Catheter size required depends on the size of the animal.

• Sterile gloves should be worn when placing a TTN catheter.

• Position: lateral recumbency• Word to the wise: when

walking dogs with jugular catheters always walk them on a harness or loop the leash behind one or both front legs.

Jugular Vein Catheterization-

Indications• Large volume of crystalloid or colloid fluid infusion (IV fluid administration)

• Continuous drug infusion (long term)

• Repeated blood sample collection

• Infusion of parental nutrition (TPN) or other hyperosmolar substances

• Central venous pressure measurement

Venocath-18g

The TTN catheter is also utilized for longSaphenous/femoral vein catheterization.

A jugular catheter placed in the medial saphenous vein will have its tip in the

posterior vena cava. Such catheters can be used for repetitive blood sampling. Because

the tip of the catheter is in a large vein, hypertonic solutions such as hypertonic dextrose and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions can be administered

through catheters in this location. Note the bruising around the needle puncture site. This may occur when placing a through-the-needle catheter. The hole in the vein created by the needle is larger than the

diameter of the catheter so when the needle is retracted from the vein, blood may leak

from the puncture site into surrounding tissues.

When not to use the Jugular vein for catheterization

• Jugular vein is inaccessible

• Patient is vomiting

• Patient has some sort of neck injury/disease

When not to use the Saphenous vein for catheterization

• Animals that cannot stand to void

• Animals with severe diarrhea

• If the catheter should get wet or soiled, it must be rewrapped or possibly replaced.

Intravenous Catheter Maintenance

• Catheters should be inspected every few hours and not left in place for more than 72 hours. (Exception: Jugular catheter)

• Check the catheter site for pain, redness, swelling, and discharge. If any of these are present, replace the catheter.

• Flush venous catheters every 4 to 6 hours with heparinized saline solution.

• If a patient is on a continuous infusion of fluids the catheter should be flushed every 8 to 12 hours.

• Catheters should be check for patency before medication is injected and should be flushed with heparinized saline solution after drug administration. Make sure that the drug you are giving does not precipitate with heparin.

Catheter Trouble-shooting

• If a catheter can not be flushed without resistance or if blood cannot be aspirated back into the syringe, the catheter may be bent, occluded with a blood clot, extra vascular or the catheter cap may be loose.

• Can you correct these issues

• Useful in nonambulatory, critically ill, small animal patients. Very commonly utilized in horses as well.

• Indications: measurement of direct arterial blood pressure (invasive) and to obtain blood samples for blood gas analyses (assessment of ventilation and oxygenation in cases with pulmonary compromise).

• Contraindications: NEVER to be used for blood sample, drug, or fluid infusion.

Common sites:dorsal pedal,

femoral,coccygeal,

and auriculararteries

Necessary Supplies

Clip and aseptically scrub over the site of proposed arterial catheter placement.

• Placement of substances in the abdominal cavity.

• Blood products, noncaustic fluids, or medications

• Faster than SQ, but slower than IV or IO

• Lavage the abdomen of animals with peritonitis, pancreatitis, hypothermia or hyperthermia

• Do not use in patients that are vomiting or that do not have a gag reflex!

• Easy to place and cheap for the clients

• Short term force feeding

• Radiography evaluates placement

• Technicians place these, sutures

and all!

• Where is the thorax located?

Hint: it contains the heart and lungs.

• The process of removing accumulated air or fluid from within the pleural space (space between the lungs and the chest wall).

• When air or fluid fills the pleural space the lungs are unable to fully expand and the animal is unable to breath properly.

• Visible signs: rapid and difficult breathing.