Swelling and redness after cannula removal

[ChallengingCitrusHalibut]

I've been looking this up on various hospital cannula procedure docs on the internet but can't find it specifically referred to anywhere.

My dad had a cannula in his hand for four days this week - it was removed yesterday when he was sent home from hospital following a hip replacement at the beginning of the week. His hand is hugely swollen - red looking with big sausage fingers. It's affected up past his wrist. The staff yesterday just said ooh, err, phone your doctor if it gets any redder, the needle might have been in a bit long.

Apart from being painful and concerning in itself, he could really do without it as he can't use his walking sticks properly with only one functioning hand, and one functioning leg!

Does anyone with experience know if this is a common problem? Should we be worried?

It may be relevant that during the week a nurse injected an anti-emetic into the cannula, continuing to push against strong resistance and my dad's complaints of pain at the site, resulting in a fair bit of blood being forced out and under the dressing onto his hand. This was just left for the next three days. I wonder if this means the injected fluid burst the vein?

Any advice appreciated!

I'm only a patient but I've had this. Sometimes they stay in fine for three days but sometimes they seem to be a problem far sooner. There doesn't always seem to be a reason. They could have made a mistake but not necessarily. I would expect them to stop injecting if someone said it hurt though.

Mine have always gone down in time. I would just keep an eye on it, and follow their instructions to go to GP if it gets worse. Maybe mark a line in felt tip now to show how far up it is red? Then you'll know if there's a change.

Very common problem as a diect route for bugs to get into vein/tissues. Hwever.

1. probably shouldn't have been in for 4 days (rules I am aware of is 72 hours unless v difficult to cannulate and in use)

1. things injected in often hurt but shouldn't be excruciating.

1. Big red swollen hand - Get to walk in centre and get some antibiotics ASAP.

If the injection was very painful, and there was a lot of resistance then that suggests that the cannula might have no longer been working when the injection was given, and so the substance being injected could have gone into the tissues around the vein, rather than into it.
Whether that is what happened with your dad or not, if the redness and swelling has got worse, or isnt getting better since he left hospital then I would get it seen ASAP, especially if the redness is spreading.

He needs it getting seen to. It sounds like phlebitis, and possible extravasation.

The nurses should have done soemthing about it before he left hospital! In Belgium there are (fairly strong) creams we can use for patients who have this.

I'm not saying your dad might need a cream; he needs to see a doctor who may prescribe something else.

Thank you for all your responses. Spoke to my mum a couple of times today and she is sure the swelling is reducing.

If it doesn't continue to reduce I will get her to phone their GP tomorrow.

Poor dad! The hip replacement was bad enough. I agree it probably should not have been in for four days and they kind of hinted at that themselves. They seemed really short staffed the whole time he was in.

takes about 25 seconds to take it out.

Yes but all week my dad said they kept saying they would do such and such (fresh water, help him to the loo, sponge bath etc) and would go off and forget. So not really surprising nobody seemed to have time to sort out his cannula either. Mum and I weren't happy about it but didn't want to say anything, overstretched NHS and that.

I had this - had a canula in for about 4 days, it became v. painful. Eventually they took it out, but my arm became red and hot and swollen. When the swelling got to a particular point on my arm, I went to GP who gave me antibiotics and said it was a blood infection (which sounded a bit strange). It was fine after that.

Looks like the same thing here howdoo. They ended up calling the doctor up to the house this morning (dad can't get in a car without a lot of swearing) and it is infected so he's got antibiotics.