Patent ID: 7232427

Claim:
A method for protecting a jugular or subclavian access site of a patient and for securing medical tubing and catheters used during surgery such as open heart or thoracic surgery, the method comprising the steps of: providing a dressing adapted to protect and cover a catheter access site and at least one catheter, said dressing comprising: a layer member having an adhesive side and an opposite non-adhesive side; and a closure member having an adhesive side and an opposite non-adhesive side, said closure member being adapted to overlie and close an end of said layer member; and providing a medical tubing anchor comprising: a base support adapted to mount to a patient's skin; a flexible anchor member on said base support adapted to receive and support said connecting tubing therein; and a keeper on said anchor member for keeping tubing disposed in said anchor member from inadvertent release; placing the adhesive side of said dressing onto an access site of a patient to secure medical tubing, to secure the catheter at the access site, and to protect the access site from contamination; inserting the medical tubing into the medical tubing anchor by squeezing and holding ends of said flexible anchor member and said base support to open tubing slots in said flexible anchor member; mounting the base support of said tubing anchor onto the skin of the patient on a side of the patient's body where the dressing is located such that the tubing anchor is spacedly disposed from said dressing; adjusting the medical tubing by squeezing and holding ends of said flexible anchor member and said base support of said medical tubing anchor to open the tubing slots so that the length of the medical tubing located between said dressing and said medical tubing anchor is greater than the distance between the access site and the medical tubing anchor, thereby causing the medical tubing to bend in a U shape between the dressing and the medical tubing anchor; and securing the medical tubing in the medical tubing anchor.