To connect the PICC, a healthcare professional will make a small insertion into the arm and then insert the tubing through a vein in the arm. They will use imaging devices to help them guide the tubing until it reaches just outside of the heart. Once the tube arrives at the correct location, a healthcare professional will secure it in place and cover the opening with a device to help keep it clean. If the doctors have chosen to leave the PICC line in, a person may need to learn to care for it at home.
A person should also check the site every day for signs of infection, such as flushed skin, swelling, or bleeding. While showering, a person can cover their PICC exit with a waterproof cover, which they can usually purchase online. A person can also shower with these cleansers and use them as they would use soap to wash their body, excluding the face and genital areas.
A person should talk to their doctor about what types of exercise and activities are safe while a PICC is in place. They should also avoid any contact sports or activities where they may cause it to become loose or come out. If a doctor or nurse inserted the PICC line during a hospital stay, they may remove it before the person goes home if it is no longer needed. If an individual leaves the hospital with the PICC line in place, they will need to schedule an appointment with their doctor to remove it.
A PICC line is a flexible tube that healthcare professionals insert into a vein in the upper arm that reaches just outside the heart. However, a person should contact their doctor if they experience any issues associated with their PICC, including if they believe they have dislodged it or pulled it out.
Once a person no longer requires their PICC line, they should contact their doctor about removing it. Healthcare professionals use portacaths to deliver regular IV treatment to patients without the risks associated with needles. Learn more about how…. Chemotherapy can be an effective way of treating cancer. However, while it destroys cancer cells, it can also have adverse effects. Learn how doctors…. R-CHOP chemotherapy uses a combination of five different drugs to treat specific types of cancer, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hypervolemia is a condition in which there is too much fluid in the blood. It is also known as fluid overload. Learn more about the causes. But it is much longer than a regular IV and goes all the way up to a vein near the heart or just inside the heart. The other end of the PICC line stays outside of the body, usually where the arm bends. It may divide into more than one line. The end of each line is covered with a cap. A patient can get medicine, fluids, blood, or nutrition through a PICC line.
It also can be used to draw blood. It's also much longer and goes farther into the vein. Health care providers place PICC lines in an operating room, intensive care unit, or interventional radiology suite.
The patient is sedated given medicine to relax or gets general anesthesia to go to sleep so they won't feel pain. Most of the time, there are no problems with a PICC line. If problems do happen, it is usually because the line gets infected or stops working. PICC lines carry some risks of complications, including those that are serious and potentially life threatening. If there is a complication with a PICC line, it may need to be removed or adjusted, or additional treatments may be required.
PICC lines require regular maintenance, including routine sterile dressing changes, flushing with sterile fluid, and cleaning of the ports.
Preventing infection is key, which means keeping the site clean, keeping the bandage in good condition, and washing your hands prior to touching the ports. If a dressing change is needed before a scheduled dressing change unless you change it yourself , promptly contact your healthcare provider.
Your healthcare provider will also let you know what activities and movements to avoid, such as heavy lifting or contact sports. You will need to cover their PICC site with plastic wrap or a waterproof bandage for showering. You should not get your PICC site wet, so swimming or submerging your arm in a bath is not advised. Removal of a PICC line is quick and typically painless. The sutures holding the line in the appropriate place are removed, and the line is gently pulled from the arm.
Most patients say that it feels strange to have it removed, but it is not uncomfortable or painful. Once the PICC is out, the end of the line is inspected. It should look the same as it did when it was inserted, with no missing pieces that could potentially be left inside the body.
A small bandage may be placed over the site if bleeding is present, and it will remain in place for two or three days while the wound heals. While PICC lines can sometimes have complications, the potential benefits usually exceed the risks and they're a reliable way to deliver medications and monitor health conditions.
Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Gonzalez R, Cassaro S. Percutaneous central catheter. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Outcomes in a nurse-led peripherally inserted central catheter program: A retrospective cohort study. CMAJ Open. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Frequently asked questions about catheters.
Updated May 9, Zarbock A, Rosenberger P. Risks associated with peripherally inserted central catheters. Central-line associated bloodstream infections: Resources for patients and healthcare providers. Updated February 7, Peripheral inserted central catheter use and related infections in clinical practice: A literature update.
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