Question

A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription of total parenteral nutrition through a central line. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?

a. Change the central line dressing every 48 hours.
b. Flush the central line with normal saline before and after medication administration.
c. Administer total parenteral nutrition using a gravity infusion.
d. Use aseptic technique only during central line access.

Answer 1

The nurse should instruct the client on the importance of changing the central line dressing according to protocol, using an infusion pump for TPN administration, and consistently applying aseptic technique for central line maintenance and normal saline flushes.

Step-by-step explanation:

When imparting teaching to a client who has a new prescription of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) through a central line, several key points must be covered to ensure proper care and maintenance of the line. One of the important instructions should be the recommendation to change the central line dressing based on protocol, which is often every 48 to 72 hours, unless it's soiled or loose. Clients should be informed that TPN cannot be administered via gravity infusion, but should be given using an infusion pump to precisely control the infusion rate.

Furthermore, the client must understand the necessity of using aseptic technique during any manipulation of the central line to prevent infections. This includes not only central line access but activities such as line flushing, dressing changes, and when adding any new connections to the line. Normal saline is used for flushing the line both before and after medication administration, to maintain catheter patency and prevent interactions between medications or with the TPN solution.