When removing a peripheral IV catheter, what action should the technician plan to take?

When removing a peripheral IV catheter, holding gauze over the site during the procedure is an essential action to minimize the risk of bleeding and ensure patient safety. This practice helps to compress the site and absorb any blood that may escape as the catheter is removed. Additionally, applying pressure with gauze can promote hemostasis, which is the stopping of bleeding, thus preventing complications such as hematomas or excessive bleeding.

While it's important to remove the catheter gently, without excessive pressure, this action alone does not address the need for bleeding control. The immediate application of ice or flushing the catheter before removal are not standard practices for safe catheter removal. Ice might be applied later to relieve discomfort if there was swelling, and flushing is typically performed prior to removal to assess blood return or patency, not as a preparatory action before taking out the catheter. Therefore, the appropriate step in this scenario is to hold gauze over the site during removal.