I am wondering if people leave extensions that come with insertion kits on their midlines or do they treat them like IV tubing and change them every 96hrs.
I would recommend that extension set be changed with each dressing change or at least weekly, but no studies have examined leaving an extension attached to any type of CVAD. With a PIV, changing the ext set would mean excessive catheter manipulation which could cause the catheter to fail. With a midline, this should not be an issue. Lynn
With a traditional midline, you don't typically need an extension, theyre is a pigtail built in, like a PICC. However, with the newer midlines (PowerWand, PowerGlide, etc.) It is just a hub like a PIV, they need an extention set added. There are no guidelines that address this specifically. If put on at insertion and under sterile technique, then I would suggest it would be safe to treat like a PICC, and change during weekly dressing changes. However, there are some places that inssert these "new" midlines under less than Sterile technique, less than maximum barrier precautions. In that cause, it may be better to change every 96hrs or when tubing is changed (more often for lipids, intermittant meds, etc.)
I would recommend that extension set be changed with each dressing change or at least weekly, but no studies have examined leaving an extension attached to any type of CVAD. With a PIV, changing the ext set would mean excessive catheter manipulation which could cause the catheter to fail. With a midline, this should not be an issue. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
126 Main Street, PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Thank you
With a traditional midline, you don't typically need an extension, theyre is a pigtail built in, like a PICC. However, with the newer midlines (PowerWand, PowerGlide, etc.) It is just a hub like a PIV, they need an extention set added. There are no guidelines that address this specifically. If put on at insertion and under sterile technique, then I would suggest it would be safe to treat like a PICC, and change during weekly dressing changes. However, there are some places that inssert these "new" midlines under less than Sterile technique, less than maximum barrier precautions. In that cause, it may be better to change every 96hrs or when tubing is changed (more often for lipids, intermittant meds, etc.)
Chris Cavanaugh, RN, BSN, CRNI, VA-BC