Cardiac Catheterization to Repair a Heart Defect in Children: What to Expect at Home

Allow your child to slowly become more active. Have your child rest as much as needed. Make sure your child gets enough sleep at night.

Your child should not ride a bike, play running games or contact sports, or take part in gym class until your doctor says it is okay. This may be for several days. It is okay for your child to walk and play with other children or play with toys.

Until your doctor says it is okay, your child should not do activities that could cause a blow to the chest, such as wrestling or playing catch with a ball.

Until the doctor says it is okay, your child should avoid lifting anything that would make your child strain. This may include heavy milk containers, a heavy backpack, or a medium-sized pet.

Your doctor will tell you when your child can go back to school or day care. Your child will probably have to spend at least 1 day at home.

For about 1 week, keep your child away from large crowds and people that you know have a cold or the flu. This lowers your child's chance of getting an infection.

Your child can eat a normal diet. If your child's stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods like plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt.

Have your child drink plenty of fluids (unless your doctor tells you not to).

You may notice a change in your child's bowel habits right after the procedure. This is common. If your child has not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, call your doctor.

Your doctor will tell you if and when your child can restart any medicines. The doctor will also give you instructions about your child taking any new medicines.

Be safe with medicines. Have your child take pain medicine exactly as directed.

• If the doctor gave your child a prescription medicine for pain, give it to your child as prescribed.

• If your child is not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask the doctor if your child can take an over-the-counter medicine.

If you think the pain medicine is making your child sick to the stomach:

• Have your child take the medicine after meals (unless the doctor has told you not to).

• Ask your child's doctor for a different pain medicine.

If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, be sure your child takes them as directed. Your child should not stop taking them just because your child feels better. Your child needs to take the full course of antibiotics.

If your child takes a blood thinner, be sure to get instructions about how to give this medicine safely. Blood thinners can cause serious bleeding problems.

Have your child take medicines exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think your child is having a problem with their medicine.

For the first day or for as long as your doctor recommends, keep a bandage over the spot where the catheter was put in.

You can put ice or a cold pack on the catheter site for 10 to 20 minutes at a time to help with soreness or swelling. Do this every few hours. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your child's skin.

Your child can shower 1 to 2 days after the procedure. Avoid soaking the catheter site in water until the area is healed. This includes keeping your child out of bathtubs and swimming pools.

Watch for bleeding from the site. A small amount of blood on the bandage can be normal.

If your child is bleeding, have your child lie down and press on the area for 15 minutes to try to make it stop. If the bleeding does not stop, call your child's doctor or seek immediate medical care.

Your child passes out (loses consciousness).

Your child has trouble breathing.

Your child is bleeding a lot from the catheter site.

Your child is dizzy or lightheaded.

Your child has severe pain where the catheter was put in, or the area becomes cold, pale, blue, tingly, or numb.

Your child has swelling and a lump that is getting bigger under the skin at the catheter site.

Your child is sick to the stomach or cannot keep fluids down.

Your child has pain that does not go away after you give your child pain medicine.

Your child has signs of infection, such as:

• Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.

• Red streaks leading from the incision.

• Pus draining from the incision.

• A fever.