Your child has had a heart, or cardiac, catheterization. This is a procedure in which a thin, flexible tube called a catheter is passed into the heart and its surrounding blood vessels. The information on this page explains how to care for your child at home after the procedure and when to call for help.
You will need to care for the catheterization site for five days
The catheterization site is the place where the cardiologist put the catheter into your child's vein or artery. It is usually in the area at the top of your child's leg. This area is also called the groin. Sometimes the site is in the neck.
This site must be kept clean and dry to help it heal. It must be covered by a bandage for five days after the catheterization. You need to change the bandage once a day for each of those five days. You should also change the bandage whenever it gets wet or dirty. This happens more often with babies who are still in diapers.
Each time you change the bandage, look at the site to make sure it is healing well. On the first day, the old bandage will often have a spot of blood on it. The site should not be red or swollen.
Your child's medications
A member of the health-care team will explain when your child can go back to taking their regular medications and if there are any changes. If you have not received information about your child's medications, please clarify with a member of your child’s health-care team.
Sponge baths or showers only
Your child should not have a bath or go swimming for five days after the catheterization. If the site is soaked in water, it is more likely to get infected. You can give your child sponge baths or showers instead. Please remove the bandage while in the shower. Let water run on the site. When your child is finished showering, pat the site dry with a clean towel and apply a new bandage.
Your child can eat normally
After your child goes home from the hospital, they should be able to eat normally. Your child may experience nausea, vomiting or reduced appetite for the first day (24 hours) after the procedure. This is more likely to happen if your child had a general anaesthetic. If you are concerned about your child's upset stomach, call your child's primary care provider.
Your child should not be too active for the first five days
After your child goes home from the hospital, they can do quiet activities. Your child should not be too active for the first five days. For example, your child should not take long walks, ride a bicycle, attend gym class or play contact sports. These activities may cause bleeding at the catheterization site.
When to call the health-care team
Some children have bruising in the area around the site. A little bruising is normal, as long as the bruising gets better over time. You can tell that the bruising is going away if it is getting lighter in colour. If you notice any swelling or redness, the bruising gets bigger or if your child has a fever after the first 24 hours, call the clinical support nurse (CSN) or cardiology fellow.
Your child may complain of a sore groin or leg on the side of the catheterization. Soreness for one or two days is normal, and you can give acetaminophen to help. But if your child is sore for more than a couple of days or the leg becomes swollen, cold and pale, contact the CSN or cardiology fellow.
When to go to the Emergency Department
If the site starts to bleed, press firmly with a piece of clean gauze over the site for 10 minutes. Check the site. If it is still bleeding, apply firm pressure again for an additional 10 minutes.
If the bleeding does not stop:
- Keep applying pressure and
- Go to the nearest Emergency Department
At SickKids
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Cardiac Diagnostic & Interventional Unit (CDIU) at the following:
- Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Call the clinical support nurse (CSN) at (416) 813-6785
- Outside of these hours: Call the SickKids Locating/Switchboard at (416) 813-7500 and ask for the cardiology fellow on call