Hi everyone. My son Jeff, 14 years old, has been having an itchy rash around his picc line. This has been on ongoing problem. I removed the last line because it looked infected then had it reinserted after the rash cleared. But the rash came back right away so now I am assuming it is an allergic reaction.
We used bactaban cream the first time, now we are using cortisone cream with a skin protectant under the adhesive dressing. I also waited a week before using the adhesive again so it could clear, just using gauze 4x4's and kling.
When it first came up it was blistered with some clear brownish drainage around the point of insertion. Now it is better but still itchy and some red raised bumps.
Does anyone have experiance with this problem? We are using a clear, adhesive dressing recomended by infuserve where we get out supplies.
Thanks for any help you can give us.
Posted by gambler (Member # 8441) on :
I had that problem, although not around the insertion site-that is dangerous. Mine was blistering around the edges of the dressing, but the whole thing itched. I switched dressings and it improved in a couple of weeks. Also there are stat locks that breathe better.
gambler
Posted by jeffsmom (Member # 10991) on :
Thanks gambler. I am monitoring for other signs of infection, like more redness or purulent drainage and feel comfortable that it is not infected. But I wish I could do something about the itch. Did you ever get any advice on what caused it? Allergy, etc.
Posted by smiles132002 (Member # 7949) on :
I don't have a picc line but i do have a central line-and they put tagaderm on as my dressing. I broke out into this ichy rash all around the site of the tube and under the surrounding dressing area.
My nurse had me switched to "covaderm" it's like a cotton adhesive..but obviously isn't water proof. The rash went away in a couple of days.
My insurance was switched and my new insurance didn't cover home-health care and had comepletely different stuff for dressings.
I told them I needed the covaderm but they didn't have a CLUE what I was talking about.
They gave me what they said was there "hyperallergenic" dressing-but I broke out into an even worse rash-it was horrible..
We switched our insurance back and now I am back with covaderm dressings doing well...
It's made by Royal it's called "covaderm plus"-there are several "look-a-likes" that are NOT the same.
E-mail me if you want more info.
Lindsay
Posted by Mathias (Member # 5298) on :
Could be an allergic reaction to either the dressing or the picc line itself. I would discuss it w/your LLMD.
Posted by gambler (Member # 8441) on :
Um, I don't know if it would be an allergy or a reaction to the dressing. But the itching drove me even nuttier. And I am sure that any blistering near an opening that goes straight to your heart is a bad idea.
I was using Tagaderm and then was switched to Tagaderm High Profile. It hasn't itched in 3 months.
Posted by lymeinnh (Member # 10454) on :
I had the same problem when I had a picc line over the summer. Very itchy rash, with a brown/orange ooze.
I ended up having it taken out, for fear of infection from having an ooze so close to the hole.
I'm not using a port in my chest and I haven't had a single bad reaction!! So much easier, and SO worth the switch.
I also use a hypo-allergenic bandage (IV 3000) plus skinprep in order to make sure the rash doesn't appear on my chest like it did on my arm.
Goodluck! Posted by savebabe (Member # 9847) on :
It sounds like the dressing. Ask your nursing facility about dressing that will not cause an allergic reaction.
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