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General product information only, not medical advice. This page lists what a central line kit contains. It does not describe how a central venous catheter is placed; that is done by trained clinicians following the manufacturer’s instructions for use and their facility’s protocol.
A central line kit (also called a central venous catheter or CVC kit) is a sterile, packaged set that pairs a central venous catheter with the accessories used around it: a guidewire, needles and syringes, a dilator, skin antiseptic, drapes, securement parts, a sharps cup, gauze and suture. The exact list depends on the maker, the catheter and the kit version. The checklist below is built from one manufacturer’s published component list and set beside the CDC’s barrier-precaution guidance.
Purpose and setting
People search this term to find out what is in a kit, what is not in it, and why a catheter alone is not the same thing as a kit. A central venous catheter is the tube itself (see what a central venous catheter is). A kit packages that catheter with the supplies listed below. A kit is also narrower than a full bedside setup: the CDC’s guideline expects a cap, mask, sterile gown, sterile gloves and a full-body drape for insertion, and the manufacturer’s kit described here lists drapes but no gown, cap or mask.
Checklist table: one manufacturer’s CVC kit
The table follows the component list that Teleflex publishes for its Arrowg+ard Blue Plus three-lumen CVC kit, item ASK-45703-NOL (7 Fr x 20 cm catheter), checked 2026-10-30. Quantities are per kit as listed on that page. Treat it as one worked example, not a universal standard: other kits differ.
Central venous catheter kit components, grouped
| Group | Item as listed | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catheter | Three-lumen catheter, 7 Fr (2.5 mm OD) x 20 cm, Arrowg+ard Blue Plus antimicrobial | 1 | Antimicrobial (chlorhexidine) catheter; the product page states it is not made with natural rubber latex. |
| Access and guidewire | Marked spring-wire guide, 0.032 in (0.81 mm) x 60 cm, straight soft tip one end, J tip other, with Arrow Advancer | 1 | Guidewire length and diameter are specific to this kit. |
| Access and guidewire | Introducer needle, 18 Ga x 6.35 cm, with 5 mL Arrow Raulerson spring-wire introduction syringe | 1 | Needle and syringe are listed as one line item. |
| Access and guidewire | Catheter, 18 Ga x 6.35 cm, over a 20 Ga introducer needle | 1 | A second access option listed in the same kit. |
| Dilation | Tissue dilator, 8.5 Fr (2.8 mm) x 10.2 cm | 1 | Sized larger than the 7 Fr catheter in this kit. |
| Injection | Injection needle 25 Ga x 2.54 cm with 3 mL Luer-Lock syringe | 1 | |
| Injection | Injection needle 22 Ga x 3.81 cm with 5 mL Luer-Slip syringe | 1 | |
| Monitoring | Pressure transduction probe | 1 | Not every kit includes one. |
| Skin antiseptic | ChloraPrep One-Step applicator, 3 mL, 2% chlorhexidine gluconate and 70% isopropyl alcohol | 1 | Supplied in the kit as the skin antiseptic. |
| Barrier drapes | Drape 24 in x 36 in with 4 in fenestration | 1 | The CDC calls for a sterile full-body drape (Category IB). |
| Barrier drapes | Drape 41 in x 55 in with 4 in fenestration | 1 | |
| Securement | SecondSite adjustable hub fastener | 1 | |
| Securement | SecondSite adjustable hub catheter clamp | 1 | |
| Securement | Staple anchoring device | 1 | Listed line item; a StatLock-type stabilization device is a different product. |
| Sharps safety | SharpsAway II locking disposal cup | 1 | Listed with the kit’s sharps-safety feature. |
| Sharps safety | SharpsAway disposal cup | 1 | |
| Sharps safety | Safety scalpel, #11 | 1 | |
| Dressing and closure | Gauze pad 2 in x 2 in | 2 | |
| Dressing and closure | Gauze pad 4 in x 4 in | 5 | |
| Dressing and closure | Suture, 3-0 braided silk, straight needle | 1 |
Source: Teleflex, Arrowg+ard Blue Plus Three-Lumen CVC Kit, ASK-45703-NOL product page, checked 2026-10-30 (full link under Sources).
Not in this kit
The component list has no cap, mask, sterile gown or sterile gloves, and no transparent dressing film. Those items are supplied separately, which is why a facility may use a dedicated supply cart (below). For dressing types see what an IV dressing is.
What varies by kit and by facility
Central venous catheter kit variants
The item name itself shows the variables: this kit is a 3-lumen, 7 Fr, 20 cm catheter. Other kits change the lumen count, French size, catheter length, antimicrobial coating, or whether a pressure probe, anchoring device or suture is included. Peripherally inserted central catheters are a different catheter family with their own kits; see what a PICC line is. A kit meant for dressing changes is also a different product from an insertion kit.
Kit versus cart
The CDC’s 2011 guideline describes a Michigan study across 108 intensive care units that used five practices (hand hygiene, maximal barrier precautions, chlorhexidine skin disinfection, avoiding the femoral site, and prompt removal of unneeded catheters). Its interventions included a central venous catheter cart that contained all the necessary supplies and a checklist to ensure adherence to proper practices. In that design the cart, not the catheter kit, held the full set of supplies. The CDC does not publish a standard list of kit contents.
Storage, expiry and restocking
Teleflex’s instructions for use for the Arrowg+ard Blue Plus CVC (S-45703-124A, Rev. 1, 2020-07, checked 2026-10-30) state the following:
- The product is supplied sterile and for single use; it is not to be reused, reprocessed or resterilized.
- The symbol glossary (ISO 15223-1) includes sterilized by ethylene oxide, use-by date, keep away from sunlight, keep dry, do not use if package is damaged, and not made with natural rubber latex. The document notes that some symbols may not apply to a given product, so the package label for the kit in hand is the reference.
The product page for the kit states no shelf life or expiry period, so none is given here. Restocking rules are set by each facility’s own protocol and supplier terms; no standard restocking interval applies to every kit.
Standards and rules that apply
The CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee published the Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections in 2011 (PDF last updated October 2017; accessible web version posted April 12, 2024). One recommendation bears directly on what surrounds a kit:
- Maximal sterile barrier precautions (Category IB): a cap, mask, sterile gown, sterile gloves and a sterile full-body drape are the barrier items the guideline names for CVC, PICC and guidewire-exchange procedures.
The CDC document does not define kit contents; it sets barrier and infection-prevention requirements that kits and carts are assembled to support. For related supplies see IV supplies and CDC replacement intervals and what an IV start kit is. See also the IV catheters category.
FAQ
What is a central venous catheter kit?
It is a sterile package that combines a central venous catheter with accessories such as a guidewire, needles, syringes, a dilator, skin antiseptic, drapes, securement parts, a sharps cup, gauze and suture. Contents differ by maker and model.
What is in a central line kit?
In the Arrowg+ard Blue Plus three-lumen example above, 19 line items: the catheter, guidewire, two access needle options, a dilator, two injection needles with syringes, a pressure probe, a chlorhexidine-alcohol applicator, two drapes, securement parts, sharps cups, a scalpel, gauze and suture. Other kits will differ.
Is a central line kit the same as a dressing change kit?
No. An insertion kit packages the catheter and its placement accessories. A dressing change kit is a separate product built around dressing supplies rather than catheter placement accessories.
Does a central line kit include gown, mask and cap?
Not in the manufacturer example above. The CDC lists them as part of maximal sterile barrier precautions, so they are supplied separately.
Sources
All sources checked 2026-10-30.
- Teleflex. Arrowg+ard Blue Plus Three-Lumen CVC Kit, ASK-45703-NOL product page: https://us.myteleflex.com/en/USD/All-Categories/Vascular/Central-Venous-Catheter/Acute-CVC/Arrowg%2Bard-Blue-Plus%C3%82%C2%AE-Three-Lumen-CVC-Kit/p/ASK-45703-NOL
- Teleflex. Arrowg+ard Blue Plus Central Venous Catheter (CVC) instructions for use, S-45703-124A Rev. 1 (2020-07): https://teleflex.widen.net/content/wq5x4nuzcg/pdf
- CDC and HICPAC. Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections, 2011: https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/media/pdfs/Guideline-BSI-H.pdf
