[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [IV therapy and fluids](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/iv-fluids/) › Caring for a peripheral IV line: flushing, dressing and when to remove it # Caring for a peripheral IV line: flushing, dressing and when to remove it - Procedure A peripheral IV is checked at every contact, flushed without force, kept covered and removed as soon as it is not needed or fails. Updated Nov 5, 2026 ## Key points - Check the site every time you are with the patient; in hospital, at least every 4 hours. - Never flush against resistance: it can rupture the vein or dislodge a clot. - Change the dressing if it is damp, loose or soiled (CDC 2011). - Remove the catheter when it is no longer needed or there is phlebitis, infection or malfunction. - The CDC 2011 guideline says adult catheters need not be replaced more often than every 72 to 96 hours; follow the institutional protocol. ## What it is A well-placed peripheral catheter can still fail without proper care. Nurses check the site often, confirm the catheter is patent, change the dressing when it gets wet or loose, and disinfect the connector before every access. The CDC 2011 guideline asks for every catheter that is no longer needed to be removed, and for a peripheral catheter to be removed if there are signs of phlebitis, infection or malfunction. ## Indications - Every patient with a peripheral catheter, locked or infusing. - Before and after every IV medication. - When the pump alarms or the patient reports pain or swelling. - At the end of therapy, to remove it. ## Contraindications and precautions - Assessment frequency: every 4 hours on the ward; every 1 to 2 hours in critically ill, sedated or cognitively impaired patients; hourly in children. - Do not submerge the site in water; cover it for showering. - Do not take blood pressure on the arm with the catheter. - Anticoagulated patient: hold pressure on the site for longer after removal. ## Equipment - Clean gloves and antiseptic for the connector (chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine or 70 % alcohol). - Prefilled saline syringe for flushing. - Sterile transparent dressing or sterile gauze, and a label. - For removal: sterile gauze, tape and a waste container. ## Step by step (and why) - Inspect colour, swelling, temperature, pain and leaking at every contact — catches phlebitis or infiltration early. - Ask the patient to report pain or swelling — they often notice it before you do. - Perform hand hygiene and scrub the connector before every access — keeps germs out of the bloodstream. - Aspirate for blood return and flush with saline per protocol, without force — force can rupture the vein or dislodge a clot. - Flush before and after every medication and regularly when locked — prevents occlusion. - Change a damp, loose or soiled dressing; gauze at least every 2 days, transparent every 7 — a broken dressing lets germs in. - Change infusion sets as often as the protocol says — reduces contamination of the system. - Remove the catheter if unused or if there is phlebitis, infection or failure — every extra day adds risk. - On removal, press with sterile gauze for at least 30 seconds and check the tip is intact — prevents haematoma and finds a fragment. - Document the site, what you did and the patient's response — shows the trend. ## Complications - Occlusion: the catheter does not run or flush; it is removed and a new one is placed. - Phlebitis and infiltration, which are graded with severity scales. - Site infection and catheter-related bloodstream infection. - Fluid overload, especially in older adults and in patients with heart or kidney failure. - Catheter embolism: a fragment stays in the vein if the tip does not come out whole. ## Next step: when to call for help - Call if the site is red, warm or blistered. - Call if the catheter tip is not intact on removal. - Call if there is fever, chills or pus at the site. - Call if signs of overload appear: breathlessness, crackles, oedema or rising blood pressure. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## What do you do if a peripheral catheter resists when you flush it? Do not force it. Force can rupture the vein or dislodge a clot; check the system and, if it still does not run, remove the catheter and place a new one. ## When is the dressing of a peripheral catheter changed? Whenever it is damp, loose or soiled; in addition, gauze at least every 2 days and a transparent dressing at least every 7 days. ## Which three findings require removing a peripheral catheter under the CDC 2011 guideline? Signs of phlebitis (warmth, tenderness, redness or a palpable cord), infection or malfunction. It is also removed when no longer needed. [Add to my cards (3)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/caring-for-a-peripheral-iv-line-flushing-dressing-and-when-to-remove-it/) ## Connections ## Related 2 - [IV complications: phlebitis, infiltration and extravasation](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/iv-complications-phlebitis-infiltration-and-extravasation/) - [Inserting a peripheral IV catheter](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/inserting-a-peripheral-iv-catheter/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [Nursing Advanced Skills, 1.3 Peripheral IV Access](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Advanced_Skills_(OpenRN)/01%3A_Initiate_IV_Therapy/1.03%3A_Peripheral_IV_Access) (Open RN (Chippewa Valley Technical College), LibreTexts, 2023); [Nursing Skills, 23.3 Intravenous Therapy Assessment](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Skills_(OpenRN)/23%3A_IV_Therapy_Management/23.03%3A_Intravenous_Therapy_Assessment) (Open RN (Chippewa Valley Technical College), LibreTexts, 2021); [Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections (2011): Summary of Recommendations](https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/intravascular-catheter-related-infections/summary-recommendations.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/caring-for-a-peripheral-iv-line-flushing-dressing-and-when-to-remove-it/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/caring-for-a-peripheral-iv-line-flushing-dressing-and-when-to-remove-it/