patient education : 14083--Inferior Vena Cava Filter Placement Discharge Instructions

Inferior Vena Cava Filter Placement Discharge Instructions

These instructions will help you take care of yourself at home.

Diet

You may resume your diet today. You may choose to start with liquids and advance your diet as tolerated, no alcohol for 24 hours.

Activity

If you have received sedation medication, do not make important personal or business decisions or sign important documents for 24 hours. Rest for the remainder of the day. Resume normal activity tomorrow. No strenuous activity or straining for 48 hours. No driving or operating heavy machinery for 24hours.

IV Site

The IV site(s) may be sore. Warm compresses for 15-30 minutes every few hours will help.

Care of Puncture Site

Remove dressing in 24 hours. You may shower after 24 hours but do not scrub the area until it is completely healed and pat gently to dry. You may experience bruising and/or tenderness which is normal and should subside in 24-72 hours. Apply new band aid daily until healed. No ointment and no soaking in a tub or hot tub and no swimming until healed.

Medications

See medication record                                                N/A                                                                                    

Prescription given                                                       N/A

Special Care Needed

Follow any blood thinning instructions as directed by your family physician.                                                                                     

Infection

Watch for signs or symptoms of infection at puncture site-redness, swelling, warmth, increased tenderness, fever, chills, vomiting or drainage from filter insertion site. Call your family doctor with the first sign of infection.

When to Call

If any increased swelling or active bleeding occurs, apply constant firm pressure for 10 minutes. If bleeding does not stop, call 911. Call for stomach pain or persistent nausea and vomiting. Call your family doctor or the Interventional Radiology department for any signs of infection as listed above.

If you have any questions or problems, or need to change an appointment, please call:

• 7:00am -5:00pm Monday-Friday (434) 924-9401
• After hours and weekends (434) 924 -9400.

      Ask for the Angio Interventional Radiology Fellow on call

• UVA Toll Free number (800) 251-3627