Living with a central line
Day-to-day care of a port or line at home: bathing, playing, what looks normal, and what does not.
What it is for
A means fewer needles. Blood tests, , fluids, blood products and antibiotics all go through it.
A port sits fully under the skin and is accessed with a special needle at clinic. An external line has tubes that stay outside the body and needs dressing changes at home.
Everyday care
Keep dressings clean and dry. Ask your team for a waterproof cover for showers; most units advise against baths that submerge the site, and against swimming pools while a line is external.
Everyone washes hands before touching the line — visitors included, without exception and without apology.
Secure external tubing under clothing so it cannot be pulled by a sibling, a seatbelt, or a climbing frame.
Normal versus not
Normal: mild tenderness for a few days after placement, a small firm bump over a port, the dressing edge lifting slightly.
Call the team if
- Redness, swelling, warmth, or pus at the site
- Fever — treat as urgent, see the fever guide
- Pain or a burning feeling when the line is flushed
- The line will not flush, or blood cannot be drawn
- The line is pulled, cracked, or leaking — clamp above the damage if you can, and call immediately
Where this comes from
- Unit central venous access device care instructions. Dressing type and flush schedules are unit-specific.
Next review due 2027-02-01.