Patient Instructions following Cardiac Catheterization (Child)

Important Information

It is important to understand how to care for your child while they recover from cardiac catheterization at home. Review these instructions and ask your healthcare team about any questions or concerns you may have.

Instructions for care after cardiac catheterization

After the cardiac catheterization, a pressure dressing will be placed over the catheter insertion site. The dressing must stay on overnight. If your child is staying in the hospital, the healthcare team will remove the dressing in the morning. If your child is going home after the procedure, follow the instructions for removing the dressing the next morning.

Removing the dressing

1. Wash your hands. 

2. Remove the gauze over the insertion site. The gauze may cling to the skin and bleed as the dressing is removed.  If bleeding occurs, apply gentle pressure to the site with a new gauze pad. If site is still bleeding after 10 minutes, call your healthcare team.

3. Leave site open to air.

Cleaning the insertion site

• Keep the insertion site clean and dry. 

• Clean the site with mild soap and water once a day and when it is soiled. Pat dry. Continue to do this until a scab forms. 

• Babies should have the site cleaned with every diaper change.  

• Diapers and underwear can irritate the site. You may cover the site with a bandage, but it is best to leave it uncovered as much as possible. If you choose to use a bandage, change it every time your child goes to the bathroom or gets a diaper change. 

• Your child may not take a tub bath until the site has a scab, usually in 1 week.

• Do not put cream or ointment on the site for 7 days or until after the site has scabbed. 

• Your child may have a bruise near the catheter site. This may take 1 to 2 weeks to go away.

Activities and diet

• Your child may return to school 2 days after discharge. They may walk up and down stairs and to classes.

• Limit rough activities for 1 week after discharge unless otherwise instructed by your healthcare team. Examples of activities to avoid include swimming, climbing trees, jumping rope, bicycling, gym class, and contact sports.  

• Your child should not lift anything that weighs more than 5 pounds for 1 week.

• Your child may resume normal eating habits.

Dental visits

Your child may require antibiotics before dental work, including regular cleanings. This is to prevent an infection of the heart that your child may be at risk for following cardiac catheterization. Let your cardiologist or primary care provider know when your child is scheduled for dental care so they can order antibiotics.  

Call the cardiology team immediately if your child has:

• Temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher

• Increasing pain

• Tingling in the arm or leg  

• Trouble walking

• Calf pain with walking

• Coolness or color change (gray, blue) in the arm or leg

• Increase in the size of the bruise at the catheter insertion site 

• Signs of infection at the insertion site:

• Increase in swelling

• Redness

• Drainage

• Odor

Cardiac Center Contact Information

• Cardiac Prep and Recovery Unit/CPRU: (267) 425-6400, Monday - Friday 8:00AM -5:00 PM

• Outpatient Cardiology Clinic: (215) 590-4040, Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

• Voorhees Cardiology office: (856) 783-0287, phone hours 24 hours a day for VNJ patients

• Weekdays after 5:00 PM, weekends, and on holidays please call the Main Hospital operator at (215) 590-1000 and ask to page the cardiology fellow on call.

Reviewed 9/12/24 by Farzana Shah CRNP and Lisa Brogan, BSN, RN