Broviac Catheter: Information, Care and Maintenance, and Complications

Complete Broviac catheter guide: what it is, pediatric and neonatal indications, care and maintenance (exit site care, heparin flushing), complications, and how to take care of a Broviac catheter at home.

Guide For clinicians
By Dennis Woo, Dr. Mike Stern & I.M. Wright 3 min read

The Broviac catheter is the pediatric and neonatal member of the open-ended tunneled catheter family. It is, in essence, a smaller-diameter Hickman catheter, and it is cared for in the same way. This guide covers what a Broviac is, its indications, care and maintenance, complications, and how families care for a Broviac at home.

Parent guide: Tunneled Central Venous Catheters: Hickman, Broviac, and Groshong Clinical Guide · Central Venous Catheters: Complete Clinical Reference

What is a Broviac catheter?

A Broviac catheter is a soft, open-ended silicone tunneled central venous catheter with a smaller diameter than the Hickman, designed for patients who need long-term central access but cannot accommodate a larger catheter — chiefly pediatric and neonatal patients, and some smaller adults. Like all tunneled catheters, it travels under the skin from a chest (or, in small infants, sometimes scalp or other) exit site to a central vein, with the tip at the cavoatrial junction and a Dacron cuff anchoring it in the tunnel.

Broviacs are usually single-lumen and available in very small French sizes — down to 2.7 Fr for neonates.

Broviac vs. Hickman

The Broviac and Hickman are the same open-ended design and share identical care (heparin lock, clamp closed at rest). The Broviac is simply the smaller-bore, typically single-lumen version for children and smaller patients; the Hickman is the larger, often multi-lumen adult version. See the Hickman catheter guide for the full device comparison.

Indications

  • Pediatric and neonatal total parenteral nutrition (TPN)
  • Pediatric oncology — chemotherapy, transfusions, frequent blood draws
  • Long-term IV antibiotics in children
  • Smaller adults requiring lower-flow long-term access

Broviac catheter care and maintenance

Care is identical in principle to a Hickman, with extra attention to the small lumen and to securing the line in active children.

  • Exit-site care: sterile dressing changes daily for the first 2–4 weeks until the cuff heals, then per policy (typically weekly), cleaning with a CHG-based antiseptic and inspecting the exit site and tunnel.
  • Flushing and locking: saline flush before and after use; heparin lock 100 units/mL when not in use, with smaller flush volumes appropriate to the lumen and pediatric protocol. Meticulous technique matters — the small lumen occludes more easily.
  • Securement: secure the external catheter carefully; accidental dislodgement is a real risk in active children.
  • Scrub the hub for 15 seconds and allow it to dry before every access.

Broviac catheter complications

The complication profile matches other tunneled catheters — CLABSI, exit-site and tunnel infection, occlusion (more likely given the small lumen), catheter-related thrombosis, dislodgement, cuff extrusion, and breakage. For detailed workups and the alteplase occlusion protocol, see Catheter Complications and the CLABSI Prevention Framework.

How to take care of a Broviac catheter at home

For parents and caregivers:

  1. Keep the dressing clean, dry, and intact — and watch a curious child closely so the line isn’t pulled.
  2. Flush exactly as taught (saline, then heparin lock) and keep the clamp closed between uses.
  3. Scrub the hub before connecting anything.
  4. Watch for warning signs: fever or chills, redness/swelling/drainage at the exit site, swelling of the arm, neck, or face, or a line that won’t flush — call the care team for any of these.
  5. Keep a clamp on hand in case the line is damaged.

See the full family-facing walkthrough in Going Home with a Tunneled Catheter and the Guide for Parents and Caregivers of Children with IVs.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Broviac catheter?
A Broviac catheter is a small-diameter, open-ended tunneled central venous catheter — essentially a smaller version of the Hickman catheter — designed for pediatric and neonatal patients or adults who need lower-flow long-term access. It is tunneled under the skin from a chest exit site to a central vein, anchored by a Dacron cuff, and used for pediatric TPN, pediatric oncology, and long-term IV therapy. It is available in very small sizes, down to 2.7 Fr for neonates.
What is the difference between a Broviac and a Hickman catheter?
A Broviac and a Hickman are the same type of open-ended tunneled catheter and are cared for identically (saline flush, heparin lock at 100 units/mL, clamp closed at rest). The difference is size: the Broviac is smaller-diameter and usually single-lumen, made for pediatric, neonatal, and smaller adult patients, while the Hickman is the larger, often multi-lumen adult version.
How do you take care of a Broviac catheter at home?
Care mirrors a Hickman: keep the exit-site dressing clean, dry, and intact; flush the lumen with saline and lock it with heparin (100 units/mL) exactly as taught; keep the clamp closed between uses; scrub the hub before every connection; and protect the line from pulling — which matters even more in active children. Watch for fever, exit-site redness/swelling/drainage, arm or face swelling, or a line that will not flush, and call the care team for any of these.
What are the complications of a Broviac catheter?
Broviac complications are the same as other tunneled catheters: bloodstream infection (CLABSI), exit-site and tunnel infection, occlusion (the small lumen is more prone to clotting), catheter-related thrombosis, accidental dislodgement (a particular risk in active children), cuff extrusion, and catheter breakage. Because the lumen is small, meticulous flushing technique is especially important to prevent occlusion.
How is a Broviac catheter flushed?
The same way as a Hickman: flush with normal saline before and after use, and lock with heparin 100 units/mL when not in use, because the open-ended tip allows blood to reflux. Smaller lumens use smaller flush volumes per the device instructions and institutional pediatric protocol.