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Drawing Blood Through Your Child's Central Line

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Heart and Vascular Care



Using a central line to draw blood is a safe, comfortable way to draw blood samples needed to diagnose and treat your child.  This handout explains how you can safely do this once you go home.  For young infants, flushing volumes may be different.  Please talk with your doctor, nurse or nurse practitioner.

 

Supplies

  • Gloves
  • Vacutainer
  • Vacutainer adapter
  • 1-2 10 mL syringe(s) of saline or ______ mL, as specified
  • 1 blood tube for waste
  • blood tubes for samples (color depends on orders)
  • new saf-site valve
  • 1 cap for end of line
  • 1 5mL syringe of heparinized saline or _______ mL, as specified

 


Steps  

 

Before leaving the hospital, a nurse will show you how you can safely do these steps once you are home.

 

1. Wash your hands and put on the gloves. 

2. Using sterile technique, screw the adapter onto the Vacutainer. 

3. With the central line clamped, remove the cap and attach the Vacutainer to the saf-site valve.

 

 

4. Unclamp catheter and push the "waste" blood tube into the Vacutainer.  This will remove the heparinized saline that is in the catheter.

 

 

5. Blood should fill this tube.  Once blood stops, remove the tube and discard in the plastic needle disposable box.

  • If blood does not flow into the tube: first make sure you have unclamped the catheter then try a new blood tube.  If there is no blood flow into the tube, remove Vacutainer.  Flush the line through the safe-site valve with 10 mL of saline (or _____mL).  Then, repeat steps 1 through 4.  If there is still no blood flow, contact your health care provider.

6. Attach and fill the other blood tubes as ordered.


 

7. When complete, clamp the line and remove the Vacutainer.


 

8. Flush the line through the safe-site valve with 10 ml of normal saline (or _____ mL) followed by 5 mL of heparinized saline (or _____ mL)


 

9. After flushing, if you can see blood in safe-site valve, remove valve and replace with a new one.

 

 

10. Place a new sterile cap on valve.

 

 

 

 

 

 



The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Last Updated: 04/02/2010

Copyright © 04/02/2010 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. UWH #5879

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