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Nurse's guide to understanding and treating thrombotic occlusion of central venous access devices

Sherry McKnight1

  • 1Vascular Access Team, Brant Community Healthcare System, Brantford, Ontario, Canada.

Medsurg Nursing : Official Journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
|February 18, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Central venous access device (CVAD) occlusion is a common complication. This guide details nursing management of thrombotic occlusion, including restoring catheter patency with thrombolytic agents.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Science
  • Nursing Practice
  • Vascular Access

Background:

  • Over 5 million central venous access devices (CVADs) are used annually in the U.S.
  • Catheter occlusion is the most frequent non-infectious complication of long-term CVAD use.
  • Thrombotic occlusion necessitates effective nursing management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe nursing management of thrombotic occlusion in central venous access devices.
  • To review the processes of hemostasis and fibrinolysis.
  • To outline the procedure for restoring catheter patency using thrombolytic agents.

Main Methods:

  • Review of hemostasis and fibrinolysis.
  • Classification of common catheter thrombosis types.
  • Step-by-step procedural guide for thrombolytic therapy.

Main Results:

  • Understanding hemostasis and fibrinolysis is key to managing thrombosis.
  • Various types of catheter thrombosis exist, requiring specific approaches.
  • Thrombolytic agents provide a method for restoring catheter patency.

Conclusions:

  • Effective nursing management of CVAD thrombotic occlusion is crucial.
  • Knowledge of coagulation and thrombolysis aids in treatment.
  • Thrombolytic therapy is an effective intervention for restoring CVAD function.

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