Dressing care for Hickman catheter exit sites has been adopted largely from central venous line dressing care protocals. In a review of 24 oncology patients followed for a total of 3,827 days, 83% of the patients demonstrated an inability to tolerate the standard procedure employed in central line care. The most common problem was skin irritation related to iodophor ointment and Elastoplast dressings. Skin irritation, defined as redness, itching, sensitivity to touch, or blistering, was noted in all but one case within 30 days after catheter insertion. Discussion of results focuses on the interplay among the properties of skin, disease process of cancer and its treatment, and the dressing procedure