Protective Alcohol Cap on Central Lines

These instructions are for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) patients with a protective alcohol cap on their central line to prevent central line blood stream infections (CLABSI).

Important information about protective alcohol caps:

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  1. Dark blue protective alcohol cap for the end of IV tubing when not connected to the child. 2. Light blue protective alcohol cap for access ports along IV tubing and at the end of the catheter.

  Preventing infections during your child's hospital stay is very important to us.

• A protective alcohol cap (such as a DualCap®, Curos® or SwabCap®) is a disinfecting cap that keeps the end of the line coated with alcohol.

• There are two different caps. The dark blue cap will be placed at the end of IV tubing when the tubing is not connected to your child. The light blue cap will be connected to all the access ports along the IV tubing and at the end of your child's catheter.

• The protective alcohol cap is for one-time use only. Once the cap is disconnected from your child's catheter or tubing, it is thrown away.

• A new protective alcohol cap is applied after line care is completed.

• We also protect the line by cleaning hands, 15 second cleaning of needleless cap and 15 second dry time before we access your child's line.

• Children who have both a central line and a peripheral IV will have protective alcohol caps placed on all access ports on the central line and peripheral IV.

Instructions for using a protective alcohol cap at home:

• If you are discharged from the hospital with a central line, you will go home with a protective alcohol cap on the end of the central line.

• Before touching the protective alcohol cap, clean your hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer.

• Remove the protective alcohol cap and throw it away. Never re-use a protective alcohol cap.

• Scrub the end of the needless catheter cap with an alcohol pad for 15 seconds. Allow the cap to dry for 15 seconds. Do not blow on or fan over the cap.

• If the catheter needs to be flushed, flush the catheter as you were taught.

• Screw a new protective alcohol cap onto the end of the catheter. Talk with your healthcare provider or homecare company about using a protective alcohol cap at home.

Reviewed on June 1, 2022, by Kaitlin Donnelly, RN; Michelle Niewinski, RN