"How do I take care of my IV at home?"

"Keep the dressing clean, dry, and fully stuck down; protect the line from being pulled, kinked, or cut; wash your hands before touching it; flush it only as you were taught with the saline provided; and check the site every day for redness, swelling, pain, leaking, or warmth. Call your care team if you notice any of those signs, if you have a fever, or if the IV comes out or won't flush."

"Can I shower with an IV?"

"Usually yes, but you must keep the IV and its dressing dry. Cover the site with plastic wrap or a waterproof cover as your care team showed you, and keep that arm out of direct water. Do not take baths, swim, or submerge the site. If the dressing gets wet underneath, contact your care team."

"What are the warning signs of an IV problem?"

"Call your care team if you have redness, swelling, pain, warmth, coolness, or leaking at the site; a hard, tender, cord-like vein; fever or chills; an IV that is pulled partway out, fell out, or is bleeding; or an IV that will not flush. Trouble breathing or chest pain is an emergency — call emergency services."

"What should I do if my IV falls out?"

"Stay calm. Press a clean gauze or cloth firmly over the site for a few minutes until any bleeding stops, then cover it with a clean bandage. Do not try to put the IV back in. Call your care team to let them know and to arrange a new IV if you still need one."

How to Take Care of Your IV at Home

If you are going home with an IV (intravenous line) in your arm or hand, a little daily care keeps it working safely until your treatment is done. This guide walks through exactly what to do — and the warning signs that mean you should call for help.

This page is about a standard peripheral IV (a short IV in the arm or hand). If you have a PICC line, port, or tunneled (Hickman/Broviac) catheter, follow the guide for that specific device — they are cared for differently.

What your IV is

A peripheral IV is a small, soft tube placed in a vein in your arm or hand so you can get fluids or medicine without a new needle stick each time. It is held in place by a clear dressing and is meant to stay in for a short time.

Your daily IV care routine

Keep the dressing clean and dry. Keep it stuck down on all edges. Cover it for showers and don’t let it get wet.
Protect the line. Don’t bump, pull, or kink the tubing, and keep sharp objects away from it.
Wash your hands before touching the IV or its connections.
Flush only as instructed, with the saline syringes you were given, and never force it.
Check the site every day for anything that looks or feels different.

Keeping the site clean and dry

The clear dressing is your protection against infection — keep it intact. When you shower, cover the area with plastic or a waterproof cover and keep that arm away from the water spray. Don’t take baths, swim, or soak the site. If water gets under the dressing or it peels up, contact your care team for a fresh dressing.

Bathing and activity

Showers are usually fine with the site covered. Use your arm normally for light activities, but avoid heavy lifting or hard gripping with that arm if you were told to, and avoid anything that tugs on the line.

Warning signs — when to call your care team

Call your care team if you notice any of these at or near the IV:

Redness, swelling, warmth, or pain
Coolness, puffiness, or leaking of fluid at the site
A hard, tender, cord-like feeling along the vein
Fever or chills
The IV is pulled partway out, fell out, or is bleeding
The IV won’t flush or feels blocked

Call emergency services for trouble breathing or chest pain.

If your IV comes out

Press a clean gauze or cloth firmly over the site for a few minutes until bleeding stops, then cover it with a clean bandage. Don’t try to reinsert it. Let your care team know so they can arrange a new one if you still need it.