Waterproof protective sleeves for patients bathing with venous indwelling catheter

Abstract

Objective To design a waterproof protective sleeve to overcome the disadvantages of venous indwelling catheter in inconvenient bathing, easy immersion and pressure injury. Methods From January to March 2016, a total of 200 patients with peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) from Wuxi No.2 People's Hospital were selected and randomly divided into control group and observation group, with 100 cases in each group. In the control group, patients' PICC sites were protected by traditional method, while in the observation group, a new type of protective air cushion and special transparent waterproof sleeves were applied to the PICC sites before bath. The incidence of infections and complications were compared between the two groups. Results The incidences of infections and complications of the control group were significantly higher than those of the observation group (χ2=30.61, 31.72; P<0.05) . In the observation group, the PICC sites were well protected from external injuries and water immersion. Conclusions The waterproof protective sleeves are cheap and convenient to apply, which can significantly reduce the incidence of complications caused by bathing and ensure the safety of patients' catheters. It is worthy of clinical promotion. Key words: Nursing care; Catheters, indwelling; Sleeves; Waterproof