| Problem | Possible Causes | What To Do |
| Fever of 100.5 or more and/or chills | - Infusion too fast
- Catheter infection
- Other causes such as the flu, common cold
| - Call physician
|
| Leaking fluid | - Loose connection
- Hole in tubing
| - Check all connections and tighten.
- Replace tubing.
|
| Weakness, nausea, or frequent urination | - Blood sugar is too high
- Solution being infused too fast
| - Call physician
|
| Sweating, nausea, headache, feeling of nervousness, blurred vision, shakiness, drowsiness | - Blood sugar too low
- Stopping TPN to rapidly
| - Take some form of sugar (hard candy, honey, fruit, Juice)
- Call physician
|
| Swelling of feet or ankles, shortness of breath while performing usual activity, weight gain 2 lbs or more per day | - Retaining extra fluid
| - Call physician
|
| Pump alarms | - Varies with alarm
| - See alarm section for your pump
|
| Sudden swelling in the shoulder or where catheter is located | - Fluid being infused into skin, not in catheter
| - Stop infusion
- Flush and cap External Central Catheters
- Call physician
|
| Pain, redness, or drainage around the catheter | - Infection at catheter site
| - Call physician
|
| Tubing becomes disconnected | - Tubing not taped or secured properly
| - DON'T PANIC.
- Clamp the extension tubing tightly.
- If there is blood in the tubing, cap and flush the external central catheter with 2.5 cc of sodium chloride followed by 2.5 cc of 100 units/cc Heparin.
- Start again.
- If there is air in the tubing, turn off the pump, clamp the tubing as close to your body as possible, lie on your left side.
- Call physician.
|
| Any unusual feeling or other physical symptoms | - Various causes
| - Call physician.
|
| Unable to flush external central catheters | - Catheter is kinked
- Catheter has developed blockage
- Catheter may be up against wall of vein
| - Check to make sure catheter is not bent or kinked anywhere
- Change body position and try to flush
- If unable to flush, call physician.
DO NOT FORCE FLUSH INTO CATHETER |
| Hole in catheter or tear in catheter | - Repeated clamping on same spot of catheter
- Catheter was flushed with excessive pressure
| - DON'T PANIC
- Clamp catheter between your body and hole (tear)
- DO NOT FLUSH CATHETER
- Call physician
|
