IV Removal, Sterile Dressing Changes, Wound Care, First Aid & CPR

Peripheral IV Discontinuation

Some facilities include removing a peripheral IV catheter within the CPCT/A scope once a nurse has confirmed the infusion is complete and discontinuation is appropriate. Standard steps:

1. Verify the order and confirm with the nurse that discontinuation is appropriate, then stop any infusion pump and clamp the tubing.
2. Perform hand hygiene and don clean gloves.
3. Loosen and remove the dressing or tape securing the catheter.
4. Place dry, sterile gauze over the insertion site without pressing down, then withdraw the catheter smoothly, following the line of the vein.
5. Immediately apply firm pressure with the gauze for 1 to 3 minutes, extending to 5 to 10 minutes if the patient is on an anticoagulant, until bleeding fully stops.
6. Inspect the catheter tip to confirm it is intact and was removed whole, then secure a clean dressing over the site.
7. Document the time, site condition, and catheter integrity, and monitor the site for bleeding, swelling, or signs of infection.

Sterile (Aseptic) Dressing Changes

A sterile technique is required whenever a dressing change involves an open wound, a surgical incision, or another break in skin integrity where infection risk must be minimized. Key principles:

• Perform hand hygiene and set up a sterile field, keeping all sterile items within the field and never reaching over the field with an unsterile hand or object.
• Anything touching the sterile field or the wound must itself be sterile; a torn, wet, or otherwise contaminated sterile package or glove is no longer sterile and must be discarded.
• Open sterile packaging away from the body, letting the contents drop onto the field without allowing the outer wrapper to touch the sterile contents.
• Don sterile gloves using proper technique, touching only the inside of the first glove and the outside of the second, never touching the outside of the first glove with a bare hand.
• Remove the old, soiled dressing using clean, non-sterile gloves, discard the dressing and gloves, perform hand hygiene again, and then don sterile gloves before touching the wound or any sterile supplies.
• Clean the wound according to the order, commonly working from the cleanest area outward, such as from the center of the wound outward, using a single motion per swab and discarding it after one pass.
• Apply the new sterile dressing and secure it, then document the wound's appearance, including size, color, drainage, odor, and surrounding skin, and report abnormal findings such as increased redness, warmth, swelling, foul odor, or purulent drainage, which are all signs of infection.

First Aid Basics

PCTs are frequently the first responder to a minor injury or a sudden change in a patient's condition. General first-aid priorities include ensuring the scene is safe, checking responsiveness, calling for help or activating the emergency response system, controlling any external bleeding with direct pressure using a clean dressing, keeping the person still if a spinal injury is suspected, and staying within scope. First aid stabilizes the patient until a nurse or emergency responder arrives; it does not replace clinical treatment.

Healthcare Provider CPR/BLS (Current AHA Guidelines)

Cardiac arrest recognition and response is one of the highest-stakes skills on the CPCT/A exam, so the exact numbers below must be memorized precisely:

Additional high-yield points: check for responsiveness and normal breathing before starting compressions; if the person shows no normal breathing, only gasping, and has no pulse, begin compressions immediately and use an AED as soon as one is available, following its voice prompts exactly; deliver compressions on a firm surface using the heel of the hand on the lower half of the sternum; and remember that high-quality CPR, meaning adequate rate, adequate depth, full recoil, and minimal interruption, is what most improves a patient's chance of survival, more than any single additional intervention.

Wound Care Basics and Infection Signs

Basic wound care overlaps closely with sterile dressing technique: keep the wound covered per order, avoid unnecessary exposure that increases contamination risk, and never apply ointments, powders, or home remedies to a wound without an order. During any wound-related care, the PCT should assess and document the wound bed appearance, the color and amount of any drainage, and the condition of the surrounding skin. The classic signs of a developing wound infection are increased redness spreading beyond the wound edges, warmth, swelling, increasing or worsening pain, foul odor, and purulent (thick, cloudy, or colored) drainage; a fever in the patient is also a systemic warning sign. Any of these findings should be reported immediately rather than simply documented for the next shift, since infections can progress quickly, particularly in patients who are older, immobile, or have chronic conditions such as diabetes.