Using a Trifusion Catheter at Home

What is a trifusion catheter?

It is a type of tunneled central line with three lines. It goes into your vein. The catheter will be placed on either the left or right side of your chest, below your collar bone. 

Why do I need it?

It lets us collect and receive your stem cells for your bone marrow transplant. It may also be used for:

• Chemotherapy

• Blood transfusions

• IV fluids and medicines

• Blood samples

What do I need to do to prepare for my placement appointment?

• Do not eat or drink anything after midnight before the appointment. 

• Do not take any blood thinners or aspirin before your appointment. A nurse will contact you to let you know how long to hold your blood thinners.

• Bring a driver with you. You will receive mild sedation before we place your catheter. 

How do I care for my trifusion catheter?

You should:

• Wash your hands often.

• Keep your dressing clean and dry.

• Shower daily and cover your dressing when showering.

• Do not touch your line or dressing unless necessary.

Your dressing should be changed by a trained clinical professional, such as a registered nurse, at least once a week, or if it becomes wet, loose, or bloody.

How do I flush my trifusion catheter at home? 

You will need to flush your catheter with saline once a day, or as directed by your healthcare provider. 

You will need:

• Normal saline prefilled syringes. This is the liquid that you will send through your catheter to ensure it does not develop a blood clot.

• Alcohol wipes. You will use these to clean the caps of your catheter before flushing your line. This helps to prevent germs from going into your catheter. 

Steps to flush your catheter: 

• Step 1. Wash your hands.

  • Wash your hands well with soap and warm water. 

  • Only touch your catheter with clean hands, or when wearing clean gloves. This will protect you from infection and to keep the line free from germs. 

• Step 2. Remove air from the prefilled syringe. 

  • Hold syringe with tip pointing up.

  • Gently pull back on the plunger of syringe. Then push the fluid toward the tip of the syringe until there is no air left in the tip. 

  • Put the cap back on the syringe. This will keep it germ-free until you are ready to use it. 

• Step 3. Inject the flushing solution.

  • Scrub the top and sides of the cap (the end of the catheter) with an alcohol swab for 15 seconds. Scrub using a twisting motion as if you are juicing an orange. 

    • Let it try completely. Prevent it from touching anything while drying. Don’t wipe, fan, or blow on it. 

    • Don’t reuse the alcohol swab. 

    • It is important to keep the cap from touching anything until you connect your syringe to the cap. If you accidentally touch the port, clean it again. 

  • Open the clamp on the line of the catheter.

  • Take off the cap on the syringe. Insert the tip of the normal saline syringe into your end cap and screw the syringe on.

  • Push the plunger in slowly and in pulsatile motions. Don’t force the plunger. You shouldn’t feel any pressure when you flush the fluid into your catheter. If you do, stop right away and call your healthcare provider. 

  • After you have injected the solution of the normal saline syringe, you will then clean the tip of the same catheter line with alcohol.

• Step 4. Finish flushing.

  • Close the clamp on the line of the catheter, just before the syringe is empty. This stops blood from flowing back into the catheter. 

  • Remove the syringe from the cap on your catheter. 

  • Dispose of the syringe. 

  • You will repeat this process with each of the three lines of the trifusion catheter. 

When do I call my health care provider ?

Call if you have any of these:

• Fever of 100.4℉ or higher, or as directed by your healthcare provider

• Chills during or after flushing your line

• Swelling, redness, drainage, or pain around your trifusion catheter site

• Bleeding from trifusion catheter site

• Tubing that leaks or is pulling out

• A feeling of new resistance when flushing your trifusion catheter, or if you can’t flush it at all