Risks of unflushed port?

[Beckman]

I'm 16 years old with cystic fibrosis and since 5 yrs old, I have had a portacath on my left side of my chest. I would get it flushed every month at the hospital, but then i eventualy started dreading getting it accesed, so i talked to my mom and we stopped it flushed. Now its been almost a year since i got it flushed and i was fine up until almost a month ago. Recently I'v been experiancing almost a burning sensation in my chest and feeling irritation and discomfort as well. I have not told the doctors or nurses about my unlfushed port.
Now I'm in the hospital on IV antibiodics, I'v always gotten the peripheral iv and not the port, and i'm still feeling the same symptoms, the doctors dont realy know whats causing it and i'v still not told them about my unflushed port ( I know i this is bad, but i'v been afraid they might make me access it). They have checked my stats, my 02 and heartrate was fine, so was my blood sugar or blood pressure. So i have been considering many things of what could be wrong and thinking it could be my port.

Could someone tell the risks of an unflushed port? (besides it getting clogged and unusable)

 

[Beckman]

I'm 16 years old with cystic fibrosis and since 5 yrs old, I have had a portacath on my left side of my chest. I would get it flushed every month at the hospital, but then i eventualy started dreading getting it accesed, so i talked to my mom and we stopped it flushed. Now its been almost a year since i got it flushed and i was fine up until almost a month ago. Recently I'v been experiancing almost a burning sensation in my chest and feeling irritation and discomfort as well. I have not told the doctors or nurses about my unlfushed port.
Now I'm in the hospital on IV antibiodics, I'v always gotten the peripheral iv and not the port, and i'm still feeling the same symptoms, the doctors dont realy know whats causing it and i'v still not told them about my unflushed port ( I know i this is bad, but i'v been afraid they might make me access it). They have checked my stats, my 02 and heartrate was fine, so was my blood sugar or blood pressure. So i have been considering many things of what could be wrong and thinking it could be my port.

Could someone tell the risks of an unflushed port? (besides it getting clogged and unusable)

 

[SIcklyhatED]

I don't have any personal experience with permanent ports, but from what I understand and have experienced with PICC lines is that anything with direct access to your bloodstream comes with risks of introducing bacteria. If there's a clot it could break off and a pulmonary embolism (which could kill you) could ensue. Flushing lines is good to keep medicines from mixing too. Also, if your port became unusable, wouldn't they have to remove it? I'm sure that hurts much worse than a simple access.

I'm sure by now you've told your doctors about the irritation (if not, well... it's important to be responsible about issues like this since they can be serious).

IMHO, I suggest you deal with the fact that your port needs to be flushed regularly. Whether that means once a year or 2x a month is up to you and your doctors, but leaving something like that in your body without maintenance is asking for a big problem down the line.

 

[SIcklyhatED]

I don't have any personal experience with permanent ports, but from what I understand and have experienced with PICC lines is that anything with direct access to your bloodstream comes with risks of introducing bacteria. If there's a clot it could break off and a pulmonary embolism (which could kill you) could ensue. Flushing lines is good to keep medicines from mixing too. Also, if your port became unusable, wouldn't they have to remove it? I'm sure that hurts much worse than a simple access.

I'm sure by now you've told your doctors about the irritation (if not, well... it's important to be responsible about issues like this since they can be serious).

IMHO, I suggest you deal with the fact that your port needs to be flushed regularly. Whether that means once a year or 2x a month is up to you and your doctors, but leaving something like that in your body without maintenance is asking for a big problem down the line.

 

[Beckman]

Thanks for responding, I actualy got it flushed right before i left the hospital, and aside from some brown blood in the line, it still works. I'm going to get it flushed a lot more often now, so nothing serious happens to it.

 

[Beckman]

Thanks for responding, I actualy got it flushed right before i left the hospital, and aside from some brown blood in the line, it still works. I'm going to get it flushed a lot more often now, so nothing serious happens to it.

 

[Tisha]

It's so much more comfortable to have IV's on the port than peripheral, that having it, you should really use it!
I've had two so far.
Yes, it can get clogged. More serious is getting it infected, though - but that happens more usually when accessing it under bad hygiene or using it under bad hygiene.
Hope you're doing well and I'm glad it still works after a year of not flushing it!!

 

[Tisha]

It's so much more comfortable to have IV's on the port than peripheral, that having it, you should really use it!
I've had two so far.
Yes, it can get clogged. More serious is getting it infected, though - but that happens more usually when accessing it under bad hygiene or using it under bad hygiene.
Hope you're doing well and I'm glad it still works after a year of not flushing it!!