Nurse Jennifer is caring for an adult patient in the intensive care unit who needs arterial line monitoring. Suddenly, the patient develops sepsis and tenderness at the insertion site. Aside from antibiotics administration, Nurse Jennifer should:
Explanation
Answer - B - Aside from antibiotics administration, the nurse should remove the catheter and replace it with a new one, utilizing a different site. Do not use guide wire assisted catheter exchange whenever catheter-related infection is documented. If catheter-related infection is suspected, but there is no evidence of local catheter-related infection, remove the existing catheter and insert a new catheter over a guide wire. Send the removed catheter for culture. Leave the newly inserted catheter in place if the catheter culture result is negative. If the catheter culture indicates colonization or infection, remove the newly inserted catheter and insert a new catheter at a different site.
