Central line access and support garment

Abstract

A central line access and support garment provides a relatively tight inner layer to support and protect central line port sites and external lines. The garment protects a multitude of port site locations. Releasable shoulder closures allow for easy access to the port sites and lines while providing an easy to wear garment for the patient. An inner layer is tight enough to protect the port site, securely holding the bandage, if used at the port site, against the patient's body. The garment offers the flexibility of placing the external lines anywhere on the patient's upper torso for comfort to the patient. An elastic band around the central body cavity serves as a protective shelf to keep external lines from hanging freely and thus pulling on the port site. An outer layer serves to protect the inner layer, absorbing stresses caused by outer garment movement and providing an additional layer of protection for the port site and external lines.

1 . A garment for protecting a catheter line and port site, said garment comprising an inner layer providing a relatively tight fit and being configured to secure the catheter line at any point between the inner layer and a wearer's body, said inner layer having a bottom and an elastic band at or adjacent to the bottom, said elastic band providing a relatively tight fit.  
     
     
         2 . A garment according to  claim 1 , said inner layer further comprising a left shoulder section, a right shoulder section and means for releasable closure of the left and right shoulder sections.  
     
     
         3 . A garment according to  claim 2 , said garment further comprising an outer layer having an exterior side and an interior side, said inner layer being attached to the interior side of the outer layer.  
     
     
         4 . A garment according to  claim 3 , said inner layer being comprised of at least one material from the group consisting of cotton, stretchable synthetic material, jersey knit and polyester.  
     
     
         5 . A garment according to  claim 3 , said outer layer being comprised of at least one material from the group consisting of cotton, stretchable synthetic material, jersey knit and polyester.  
     
     
         6 . A garment for protecting a catheter line and port site, said garment comprising: 
 an inner layer providing a relatively tight fit, said inner layer having a left open shoulder section, a right open shoulder section, a bottom and an elastic band at or near the bottom, said elastic band providing a relatively tight fit, said inner layer being configured to secure the catheter line at any point between the inner layer and a wearer's body; and    an outer layer having an interior side, an exterior side, a left shoulder section, a right shoulder section and releasable closure means for releasably closing the left and right shoulder sections;    said inner layer being attached to the interior side of the outer layer.    
     
     
         7 . A garment according to  claim 6 , wherein the left shoulder sections of the inner layer are attached to the left shoulder sections of the outer layer, such that releasably closing the left shoulder sections of the outer layer releasably closes the left shoulder sections of the inner layer.  
     
     
         8 . A garment according to  claim 6 , wherein the right shoulder sections of the inner layer are attached to the right shoulder sections of the outer layer, such that releasably closing the right shoulder sections of the outer layer releasably closes the right shoulder sections of the inner layer.  
     
     
         9 . A method for protecting a central catheter implanted in a patient, said method comprising steps of: 
 placing a garment on the patient, said garment comprising an inner layer providing a relatively tight fit and being configured to secure the catheter line at any point between the inner layer and a wearer's body, said inner layer having a bottom and an elastic hand at or adjacent to the bottom, said elastic band providing a relatively tight fit, and    positioning between the inner layer of the garment and the patient's body a portion of the central catheter that is outside the patient's body.