What is the initial glove step when removing a PICC line?

• A. Put on non-sterile gloves and remove the dressing.
• B. Don sterile gloves and mask, then have the patient turn the head to the other side.
• C. Remove sutures first.
• D. Apply antiseptic ointment before gloves.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is using the right sequence of gloves to keep the site as clean as possible during PICC line removal. The initial move is to put on non-sterile gloves before removing the old dressing. This creates a barrier for your hands as you handle and remove the dressing, reducing the chance of transferring contaminants to the catheter site. After the dressing is off, you would perform hand hygiene and then switch to sterile technique for any further steps (such as cleansing the site and applying a new sterile dressing or proceeding with line removal per protocol). This sequence emphasizes starting with a basic protective barrier before touching materials that cover the insertion site.