SSC 2026 Guidelines now available — 129 adult & 61 pediatric recommendations View guidelines →
Plain-language guides for patients and families on IV lines, catheters, infusion therapy, and vascular access care — what to expect, how to stay safe, and when to ask for help.
A plain-language guide to caring for a central line (non-tunneled central venous catheter) at home or in rehab — keeping it clean and dry, protecting it, recognizing problems, and when to call for help.
A plain-language patient guide to taking care of your IV at home — keeping the site clean and dry, protecting the line, recognizing problems like swelling or redness, and knowing when to call for help.
A patient's guide to informed consent for vascular access procedures — your right to understand, ask questions, agree, or refuse — and what happens if you cannot make decisions for yourself.
A patient guide to visiting interventional radiology for vascular access procedures — what IR is, what types of catheter procedures are done there, how to prepare, what the environment looks like, and what to expect during and after.
A guide to your first visit to an outpatient infusion center — what the facility looks like, what to expect during check-in and your infusion, how long to plan for, what to bring, and how to make the experience more comfortable.
Vascular access safety guidance for immunocompromised patients — those receiving chemotherapy, transplant recipients, patients on immunosuppressants or biologics — including why infection risk is higher, stricter fever thresholds, enhanced precautions, and when to seek care immediately.
A parent's guide to vascular access in the NICU — explaining umbilical catheters, neonatal PICC lines, and peripheral IVs in newborns: why they are placed, what they look like, how they are cared for, and how parents can help protect them.
A guide to vascular access decisions when shifting toward comfort-focused or palliative care — when to keep or remove a catheter, the role of IV lines in symptom management, questions about IV fluids at end of life, and how to have these conversations with your care team.
A plain-language introduction to vascular access — what it is, why you need it, and what to expect when your care team places an IV or catheter.
Plain-language descriptions of all major vascular access devices — peripheral IVs, midlines, PICC lines, central venous catheters, and implanted ports — including when each is used and what to expect.