The skin provides a natural, occlusive protective barrier for the body. During the placement of a catheter, the skin is penetrated, causing a break in this protective barrier. Because of this break in the skin, it is essential to maintain a sterile dressing over the insertion site to reduce the risk of environmental and bacterial contamination.
The dressing serves several purposes including:
- Keeps the site clean and dry
- Protects site from trauma
- Provides a barrier to prevent bacteria from contaminating site
- Secures the catheter from dislodgement
