Final answer:
Healthcare professionals thread indwelling catheters into veins for medication delivery or pressure monitoring, but these devices can cause bloodstream infections requiring careful interpretation and potential removal, as seen in Barbara's clinical case.
Step-by-step explanation:
To transport and interpret an indwelling catheter, licensed healthcare professionals carefully thread the catheter through a vein to reach a central location within the vascular system where it can be used for the administration of medication, fluids, or for monitoring pressures within the body. The procedure is mostly performed under sterile conditions to minimize the risk of bloodstream infections, which are a potential complication as highlighted in the case of a 43-year-old patient, Barbara, with metastatic inflammatory breast cancer, who developed an infection at the catheter site.
If signs of infection such as redness, warmth, or fever are observed, as in Barbara's case, the catheter may need to be removed and appropriate antimicrobial therapy initiated. Health professionals must also be able to interpret signs of potential catheter-related complications, like localized infections or biofilm formation which can harbor bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, shown in biofilms on indwelling catheters through electron micrographs.