The Hidden Cost of Keeping Tubes in Kids

Some very sick children need special tubes placed into large veins. These tubes help deliver medicine during stem cell transplants. But leaving them inside for too long can cause problems. Infections and blood clots are real dangers. Families also face extra work caring for the equipment. All of this adds up to a lot of money too. Before now, nobody knew exactly how much routine care cost.

A group of researchers watched how this care actually happens. They observed nurses changing bandages and caps at a hospital in Cincinnati. This happened between January and March of 2025. They also asked centers in a network called Engraft about their habits. Ten different centers answered their questions. The team counted every minute and every supply used. This helped them figure out the true price of each task.

Changing a bandage took about sixteen and a half minutes. That job cost over fifty-five dollars. Swapping the cap was cheaper at twenty-four dollars. Flushing the line every day added another thirteen dollars. When you add it all up, one month of care runs between six hundred seventy-five and seven hundred twenty-eight dollars. Some places change bandages weekly. Others change caps every single day. Why do different places do things differently?

This care takes a lot of staff time and supplies. Because practices differ so much, experts say hospitals should agree on one way to do things. It also makes sense to pull the tube out as soon as it is not needed. Keeping access open when it is not useful just wastes resources. Standard rules could help everyone save money and stay safer.