These instructions are for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) patients traveling while on intravenous (IV) nutrition, also known as parenteral nutrition (PN).

Important information about traveling with PN:

• You may travel with PN but traveling will require extra planning.  Let your infusion company and CHOP PN team know of any out of state travel plans at least a month in advance. Whether you are traveling to a doctor’s appointment or taking a longer trip or vacation, certain supplies and communication will be needed well in advance.  
• If you are planning a longer trip but have never traveled with PN before, consider planning a shorter, more local trip as a trial run first. This will allow you to practice travel and packing without the added stress of being away from usual resources.

Instructions for preparing PN supplies for any travel:

• Prepare a waterproof bag or place items in a plastic bag inside your travel bag and include these standard supplies for all travel (even short trips such as a doctors’ visits):
  • Alcohol pads
  • Site-Scrubs^® (if these are provided by your infusion company)  
  • Small hand sanitizer  
  • Normal saline flushes  
  • Heparin flushes  
  • Lock therapy medicines (if ordered and due for instillation while away)  
  • Protective alcohol caps (for example, DualCap^®, SwabCap^®, or Curos^®)  
  • ValGuard^® or other protective barrier if you've been taught to use this  
  • Central line dressing(s)  
  • Dressing to reinforce primary central line dressing  
  • Scissors to cut reinforcement dressing to correct size  
  • Sterile gauze  
  • Needleless caps (for example, MicroClaves^®)  
  • Chux pads (disposable underpads)
  • Spare prep tray or rolled up plastic placemat in clean plastic bag to use as a clean surface
• Save CHOP and home infusion company contact numbers to your phone
• Bring these additional supplies if you need to travel to an Emergency Department:
  • PN bag(s)  
  • PN tubing and any extensions or bi-fuses typically used  
  • PN pump(s)  
  • Feeding supplies, including extra formula and spare feeding tube.  
• Prepare for the unexpected that could impact timely PN or feeding administration. Ask yourself:
  • If I hit traffic, will this delay when I would normally hang my child's PN? Should I bring these supplies?  
  • Do I need to bring my glucometer and supplies to check my child's blood sugar if the infusion is delayed or there are other issues with the infusion?  
  • Do I have enough of my child's feeding supplies should delays occur?

Instructions for preparing for a longer trip:

• Bring standard supplies and consider also bringing:
  • Eclipse^® balls or fluid boluses and tubing if ordered  
  • Back up PN pump(s)  
  • Extra batteries for PN pump(s)
  • Ice packs in luggage and/or cooler for storage of PN bags and additives   
  • Digital thermometer for refrigerated supplies (recommended to maintain proper temperature at 36-46 degrees Fahrenheit)  
  • Antibacterial wipes for cleaning your work surface
  • Needles  
  • Syringes  
  • Appropriate sharps storage based on travel destination
  • Additive medicine vials and syringes  
  • AquaGuard^® or other protective barrier used while bathing/showering  
  • Central line dressing change kits  
  • Spare sterile gloves and masks if you have been trained to perform sterile line care procedures  
  • Thermometer for monitoring your child’s temperature
• Keep travel letter(s) in your wallet. These letters will be provided by your home PN team and any other teams that manage your child's care.
• Know important information about your travel destination, including:
  • Local pharmacy address, hours, and insurance accepted  
  • Nearest emergency room and preferred hospital if admission or transfer is needed  
  • Outpatient infusion center options  
  • Fridge availability and size  
  • Appropriate sharps storage and disposal
• Follow these tips for plane travel:
  • Do not check supplies. Place in carry-on bag. PN bags can get lost or burst, leaving you with no supplies.  
  • Airports and airlines should allow travel with all medically necessary supplies, medicine, and equipment. Contact your airline to let them know of your travel needs and see if they can help make your trip easier.  
  • Allow extra time at the airport for additional screening procedures.  
  • Use these Transportation Security Administration (TSA) resources to help with travel:
    • TSA helpline (1-855-787-2227) or TSA Cares  
    • TSA Pre-Check
• Inform the infusion company of your travel plans a month in advance and discuss:
  • Travel dates and travel address(es).  
  •  Timing of delivery if your trip extends past your next PN delivery date. Once PN bags are compounded, they are only stable for 7-9 days. Longer trips will require multiple shipments.
  • If supplies can be shipped locally. Many infusion companies cannot ship out of state. You may be responsible for transporting all supplies needed for the entire length of your trip. This may depend on your infusion company and its locations. There may be a local infusion company branch, but some states and infusion companies may require that orders are signed by a provider licensed in that state.   
  • Line care needs like dressing and needleless cap (for example, MicroClave^®) changes. Dressing and cap changes may only be available by going to a local Emergency Department unless you are taught well ahead of time how to perform these procedures. The local hospital may not carry your specific dressing supplies. Be sure to bring these items with you to the local hospital.
• Discuss travel plans with all medical teams managing your child’s care. They can help ensure you have enough formula, feeding supplies, and medicines.
  • Plan for travel delays.  
  • Always take more than you need.   
• Check out these helpful resources for traveling with PN:
• Oley Foundation
  518-262-5079
  oleyfoundation@gmail.com
• List of infusion companies and resources

If you have any questions about your child’s health, please contact your child’s healthcare provider. This document is intended only to provide general educational information and is not intended as medical advice or treatment. Please consult with your healthcare provider prior to use, as some of this information may need to be adapted for your child’s specific needs. It is the responsibility of your healthcare provider to advise you on the appropriate use of this information. If you/your child are not already a CHOP patient, this document does not create a doctor-patient relationship between you/your child and CHOP. CHOP is not responsible for any outcomes you/your child might experience from your use of this document. This document is provided "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, express or implied. If this document refers to any drugs or medical devices, it is the responsibility of your healthcare provider to check the FDA status prior to use. If this document includes references to drug dosing, please do not rely on this document. Your healthcare provider should check the package insert for each drug before use. Hyperlinks used within this document may not be translated into other languages.

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