A nurse is planning care for a client who has a central venous access device for intermittent infusions. Which of the following actions should the nurse include in the plan of care?

A.

Use an aseptic technique when changing the dressing.

B.

Cleanse the site with povidone-iodine.

C.

Flush the catheter using a 10-mL syringe.

D.

Change the dressing every 24 hours.

Answer and Rationale

The Correct Answer is A.

The aseptic technique is important to prevent infection when changing the dressing of a central venous access device.
Choice B is not correct because povidone-iodine is not always the recommended cleansing agent for central venous access devices.
Choice C is not correct because a 10-mL syringe may generate too much pressure and damage the catheter. 
Choice D is not correct because the dressing does not always need to be changed every 24 hours; the frequency of dressing changes depends on the type of dressing and the condition of the site.