Protective Alcohol Cap on Central Lines

Important information about protective alcohol caps:

A protective alcohol cap (such as DualCap®, Curos®, or SwabCap®) is a small disinfecting cap placed on the end of your child’s IV line. It keeps the line coated with alcohol to help kill germs. This helps lower your child’s risk of infection.

There are two different types of protective alcohol caps:

1. Light blue protective alcohol cap to protect the cap that is on the end of the catheter, as well as any connection points on IV tubing.

2. Dark blue protective alcohol cap to protect the end of tubing when it is not connected to the patient’s line.

    

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

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

   • Your care team protects your child’s line by cleaning their hands before touching it. They also scrub the cap for 15 seconds and let it dry for another 15 seconds. This helps prevent infection.

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

Instructions for using a protective alcohol cap at home:

If your child goes home with a central line, a protective alcohol cap will be placed on the end, except for lines used for dialysis. Keep using alcohol caps at home to help prevent infection. If you don’t have alcohol caps for home use, contact the team managing your child’s central line.

When accessing the central line:

• Always wash your hands with soap or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer for 15 seconds before touching the central line and the protective alcohol cap.

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

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

• If the catheter needs to be flushed, do it the way you were taught.

• Twist a new protective alcohol cap onto the end of the catheter when line care is done.

Reviewed May 2025 by Jean Abraitis, BSN, RN, Maureen Baylis, MSN, RN, Katy Murtaugh, BSN, RN, Lauren Le Goff, MS, CIC, Samantha Steich, BSN, RN, Melanie Brandan MSN, RN, VA-BC, Megan Lynch, MSN, RN