OCC Vascular Access & Infusion Techniques Flashcards
6 cards from real OCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 OCC Vascular Access & Infusion Techniques flashcards as text
A patient receiving a continuous 5-FU infusion via ambulatory pump reports that the pump alarmed and the site feels warm. What is the nurse's priority?
Answer: Stop the infusion, assess for extravasation, and notify the provider
Warmth at the infusion site during chemotherapy administration suggests possible extravasation, requiring immediate cessation and assessment.
Which intervention helps prevent fibrin sheath formation on a central venous catheter?
Answer: Flushing with 10 mL normal saline using a pulsatile push technique after each use
Pulsatile flushing with normal saline creates turbulence that dislodges debris and prevents fibrin accumulation on catheter walls.
The nurse suspects a PICC line has migrated based on the patient's complaint of gurgling sounds in the ear during infusion. What does this indicate?
Answer: Catheter tip has migrated into the jugular vein
Gurgling or swishing sounds in the ear during PICC infusion indicate catheter tip migration into the jugular vein, requiring imaging confirmation and repositioning.
Which dressing change frequency is recommended for a tunneled central venous catheter exit site according to current evidence-based guidelines?
Answer: Every 7 days with transparent semi-permeable membrane dressing (unless soiled)
Current INS and CDC guidelines recommend transparent dressing changes every 7 days for tunneled CVC exit sites unless the dressing becomes wet, soiled, or loose.
A patient with a new PICC line develops sudden onset of dyspnea, hypotension, and a 'sucking' sound during catheter manipulation. What complication is occurring?
Answer: Air embolism
Air embolism can occur during open central catheter manipulation and presents with sudden dyspnea, hypotension, and a mill-wheel murmur or sucking sound.
Which position should the nurse place a patient in if air embolism is suspected during central line removal?
Answer: Left lateral Trendelenburg (Durant's maneuver)
Left lateral Trendelenburg (Durant's maneuver) traps air in the right ventricle apex to prevent it from entering the pulmonary vasculature.
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