Why do you need a hickman line

If you have a dressing on the site, it will also need to be changed once a week. Sometimes, a special dressing, such as an antibiotic disc, may be put over the exit site. The dressing helps to reduce the risk of infection. If you feel able, the nurses at the hospital will teach you how to flush the line and change the dressings.

They can also show a family member, partner or friend how to do this. If you prefer, a district nurse can do it for you at home. When you are at home, it is safe for you to have a shower or bath with your central line in. You can place your line in a plastic bag and tape it to your skin so that the line does not get wet.

Or your nurse can give you waterproof dressings to stop the line getting wet. You should keep the exit site out of the water in a bath. Swimming should usually be avoided because there is a risk of infection. It is best to avoid other sports such as golf, tennis or strenuous gym exercises. This is because there is a risk that your central line could become dislodged. Your doctor or nurse can give you information about the exercises you can do. It is possible for an infection to develop inside the central line or around the exit site.

Contact your hospital doctor or nurse if you have:. If you get an infection, your doctor will prescribe you antibiotics. If the infection does not get better, the line may be removed. It is possible for a blood clot thrombosis to form in your vein at the end of the line.

You may be given medication to help prevent this. If a clot does form, you will be given some medication to dissolve it. Your line may have to be removed.

The inside of the line can sometimes become partly or completely blocked. If this happens, it can be difficult to give treatment or to take blood tests through it. The line may be flushed with a solution to try to clear the blockage, or it may need to be removed. It is important not to let any air get into your central line. This is an uncommon problem but could be very serious. The clamps should always be closed when the line is not being used.

The line must not be left unclamped when the caps or bungs are not in place. They have a special valve inside the line that stops air getting into it. It is important that the central line is not broken or cut. Do not use scissors near the line. Only use the clamp on the thicker, strengthened part of the line. It is not very common to get a cut or split in the line.

If this happens, try to clamp or tie your line just above the break. This is to seal it between the split and where the line comes out of your body. Contact your hospital straight away. The nurses may be able to repair the line. If this cannot be done, it will be removed. When you do not need the central line anymore, it will be taken out.

A doctor or specialist nurse will do this for you. It is usually done in the outpatient department and takes about 30 minutes. You will not usually need a general anaesthetic. Once you are lying down comfortably, the skin over your chest will be cleaned with antiseptic. The doctor or nurse will then numb the area around the cuff with local anaesthetic.

They will make a small cut to release the cuff, then slowly remove the line. You might find this uncomfortable, but it should not be painful.

Once the line is out, your nurse or doctor will put a dressing over the exit site. You will be asked to stay lying down for about 10 minutes until they are sure there is no bleeding. Central lines. On this page. What is a central line?

What is a central line used for? A central line can be used to give you treatments such as: chemotherapy blood transfusions antibiotics intravenous IV fluids liquid food if you are not able to eat. You can go home with the central line in and it can be left in for weeks or months.

How is a central line put in? What stops a central line from falling out? Looking after your central line When the central line is not being used, there is a small risk of it becoming blocked. Showers, baths and swimming When you are at home, it is safe for you to have a shower or bath with your central line in. Possible problems with a central line Infection It is possible for an infection to develop inside the central line or around the exit site.

This will cause some stinging initially and then go numb. The procedure should not cause you any pain. Throughout the procedure a nurse will be monitoring you. Please let the nurse know if you feel any discomfort. The Hickman line will be tunnelled under your skin from the chest to the neck. Once it is at your neck it will be placed into a large vein. The doctor will put stitches in your skin to hold the Hickman line in place and a large waterproof dressing will be placed over the line.

You will go back to the ward where you will need to rest in bed for 2 hours. Your ward nurse will monitor you. The Hickman line will be ready to use. If you feel unwell or have any discomfort at any time, please tell your nurse.

If you need treatment for a long period of time, you may be discharged from hospital with your Hickman line still in. You should be able to wear your normal clothes. You need to keep the dressing clean and dry and not touch the line until your hands have been washed with soap and water. The stitches will need to come out after two weeks. Please contact your ward immediately if you are experiencing any of the following:.

Skip to navigation Personal tools. Hickman line insertion Introduction A Hickman line is a tube that is placed into one of your major blood vessels leading to your heart. Risks and benefits The benefit of this procedure is that it will save you the discomfort of having needles repeatedly inserted into your veins.

Day of the procedure Please do not eat or drink for 6 hours before your procedure. Before the procedure You will be admitted to hospital or already an inpatient. During the procedure In the procedure room you will lie on an X-ray bed. The procedure usually takes 30—60 minutes but may take longer. After the procedure You will go back to the ward where you will need to rest in bed for 2 hours. Going home If you need treatment for a long period of time, you may be discharged from hospital with your Hickman line still in.

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