How to Access a Central Venous Port

A central venous port is an implanted device that allows for medications to be administered directly into the bloodstream on a regular basis. Different kinds of medications or treatments will require a patient to have one of these implanted, blood can also be drawn from this location. The access port is a small container where the medication or fluid is injected. The port itself, is connected to a catheter that is directly connected to a large vein.

Things You'll Need

• Soap and water
• Sterile gloves
• Topical anesthetic (optional)
• Huber needle
• Medication

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Wash hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap before gathering items and starting process of looking for the port. Put on a pair of gloves, preferably vinyl or nitrile gloves, once you are ready to begin contact with the skin.

• 2

  Start the procedure by using a gloved hand to locate the implanted device which is a circular disk called a reservoir. On this reservoir is a rubber "ball" called a septum. The septum is where the needle will need to be inserted.

• 3

  Apply a topical numbing cream, such as LMX, on the skin if there is a possibility of pain with use of the needle. In many cases, the area where the port is implanted is already numb after the surgery of implantation. But if this is not the case, a numbing cream will be very beneficial.

• 4

  Insert a specialized needle specifically for port access called a huber needle into the septum. Once the needle is through the skin and in the port, pull back on the plunger of the needle just a bit to check for blood to flow into the needle. The blood being present indicates that the needle is inserted properly.

• 5

  Remove the needle once any treatments or medications that were required are complete. Some huber needles are retractable whereas others are not. With either type, have a sharps container nearby to dispose of the needle. There is nothing extra that needs to be done to the area of the skin or the port itself once the needle is removed.