Your Child: Lines, Tubes and Ports This Publication Is Intended to Supplement the Advice Given by Your Child’S Medical Team
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Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust Your child: Lines, tubes and ports This publication is intended to supplement the advice given by your child’s medical team. It was written by Dr Jennifer Kelly, GP and founder of the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust. Our thanks go to Dr Bob Phillips (Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Oncology, LTHT), Professor Bernadette Brennan (Paediatric Oncology, Manchester), Dr Laura Roe (Consultant Paediatrician with a special interest in oncology and palliative care, UHNM), Evelyn Ward (Clinical Dietetic Manager, LTHT), Alix Dunlop-Jones (Senior Paediatric Dietitian, LTHT), Linda Sanderson (Nurse Educator for CLIC Sargent, Leeds) and Dominique Miller (Paediatric Dietician, UHNM) for their help in the peer review of this resource and to Allison Semikin for her help as a parent reviewer. The Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust has made every effort to ensure information is accurate at the time of printing. We are unable to accept responsibility for any information provided by third parties. If you would like more information on the references used to make this publication, please contact us. The publication of this booklet was funded by the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust and produced following the guidance of the Information Standard. Copyright GKCCT 2019. Published May 2019. Next review due in May 2022. About this booklet If you are reading this, the likelihood is that your child, or a child close to you, has been diagnosed with cancer. This booklet is designed to be an information summary and to answer some of your questions. If you have any queries, please discuss them with your healthcare team. When a child is diagnosed with cancer you suddenly have to make decisions about things you previously knew very little about. This booklet has been written to help give you more information and to answer some of your questions. We have also included a section on useful tips from parents whose children have experienced some, or all of these devices. At the back of the booklet, there is a glossary of terms for more information. Words that are included in the glossary are highlighted in bold in the main text. 2 www.gkcct.org Central access When a child is diagnosed with cancer, they are usually fitted with a special line or port through which most of their treatment can be given. These devices are called central vascular access devices. These devices mean that blood tests and treatments (such as chemotherapy) can be done as safely and as efficiently as possible whilst causing the least upset to you and your child. There are various devices available, but the main types are central venous catheters, vascular ports and peripherally inserted central catheters. The most suitable device for your child will depend on their age, size and the reason they need to have one. Doctors will only Central Venous Catheters suggest the use of central venous access devices if your child needs frequent or Children with cancer are usually fitted with long-term treatment that needs regular a central venous catheter through which access to their bloodstream. they receive their treatment. There are three main types: central lines, vascular access ports and picc lines. Your child: Lines, tubes and ports 3 Central lines Once in place, if your child does not need to stay in hospital for treatment, you can return Often known as a HickmanTM Line, home. Your child’s care team will provide BroviacTM line, central line or wiggly, this is you with instructions on how to care for a soft thin tube (catheter) that is inserted your child’s line at home. They will usually whilst your child is under a general contact your child’s community nursing anaesthetic. It is inserted into a large vein team who will help you to care for your in the neck and then tunnelled under the child’s line. Usually this involves a weekly skin to come out on the chest wall below dressing change and flushing of the line. the collar bone. When your child wakes, they will have two tiny incisions. The first is in the neck and A central venous catheter is usually closed with paper stitches, and gives direct access to the the second is where the line comes out. blood stream so care for the This is held in place by a stitch and a see- line is very important, to limit through dressing. the chances of infection. A central line is designed to give long term venous access for your child. Although this sounds daunting, your child will soon adapt to having a central line. Many children can appreciate their line because they understand it reduces the need for blood tests and cannulas. Although it looks like only one line, a central line actually contains two (or very occasionally three) tubes which divide out into two (or rarely three) ends to allow more than one medication to be given at a time. This makes giving treatment that little bit easier. 4 www.gkcct.org Vascular Port Also known as an implantable port or portacathTM, this device is placed under the skin in the chest. It consists of a small chamber with a catheter attached. This catheter is then threaded under the skin and into a large vein. The port gives easy and reliable access to your child’s bloodstream and sits just below the skin. A vascular port is fitted when your child is under a general anaesthetic. When they wake up, they will have two small incisions: one by the port site and the other in the Once accessed, a port can be used for up neck where it was inserted into the vein. to a week at a time so there is no need for a separate needle for every procedure. When a treatment cycle is finished, the needle is removed (the port is de-accessed). This is a simple procedure undertaken by trained staff; the needle just pulls out of the port. To use the port (to access the bloodstream), a special type of needle is inserted through the skin into the chamber in the vascular port. The skin where the needle is inserted can be numbed using a local anaesthetic cream or cold spray. Usually a port only has one chamber, but it is possible to have a port with two chambers (lumens) which would allow more than one infusion to be run at the same time. How a port may look once the site of insertion has healed What is pain? Pain is an unpleasant feeling that can occur as a result of an injury, Why it is important to target pain illness or medical procedure. You do not need to see physical damage to Pain is a symptom that most children have pain and it can affect infants will find distressing. When pain is not and children of all ages. adequately controlled it has a big impact on how happy your child is and Very young children and those with causes anxiety for you both. Assessing disabilities may find it difficult to tell us and managing pain appropriately about their pain, so we use a number of makes a huge difference to your child’s Please see our booklet “Managing your child’s pain,” for further advice ways to assess the amount of pain they experiences and allows your child to play are experiencing. and “be a child”. Why do children with cancer experience pain? Children with cancer can experience pain on pain management during needle procedures for your child. for a number of reasons. Both cancer itself and the treatments that your child needs to undergo may cause pain. Blood tests and other procedures, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy can all result in pain. Each child is unique in how they experience pain so every effort will be madeGrace by your Kelly child’s team to minimise the pain theyChildhood experience. Cancer Trust Managing your child’s pain Managing your child’s pain 3 Your child: Lines, tubes and ports 5 Which Device should we choose? Dependent on the age and size of your child and the type of treatment they require, they will usually be offered a central line of some sort. Certain treatment regimes are better suited to a certain device so your child’s care team will help to guide you as to which device is most suitable for your child. Hickman line Vascular port Accessing the line No need for a needle to Requires a needle to access (taking a blood sample) access the line and can the line. This can be made be accessed even when easier with numbing cream sleeping. Excellent for a but can be distressing for child distressed by needles. some children. Bathing Bathing in a shallow bath Once healed and not only and the line needs to be accessed, there are no issues taped out of the way. with bathing. Swimming No swimming due to Once healed and not infection risk unless using a accessed, swimming is specialised dry suit. possible in between treatment courses. Dressings Weekly dressing changes Once healed and not required. These can be accessed, there is no need distressing for some children. for dressings. 6 www.gkcct.org Hickman line Vascular port Infusions Easier to run multiple More challenging to run infusions if a lot of multiple infusions unless a medications are needed. double lumen port is used. Emergencies Must take emergency Unless port is accessed, dressings and clamps with special emergency you wherever you go. equipment not required. Physical activity Greater limit to physical Participation in physical activities due to risk of activities is easier but contact damaging lines.