These lines have
the advantage of lasting as long
as two months, as opposed to
conventional central lines and
peripheral venous lines that
must be changed every 3 days.
PICC lines are used to draw
blood, administer medications,
chemotherapy and total
parenteral nutrition (TPN).
In
addition, these are high
pressure lines that can be used
for CT scan contrast injections.
These intravenous
catheters are placed by the
Radiologist in the
Interventional Radiology Suite
at the hospital. Ultrasound is
used to target a deep arm vein,
the Radiologist then inserts the
line, advancing the PICC line
tip to the superior vena cava,
just above the heart. This
relatively painless procedure
takes less than 10 minutes. This
service is offered at the
Hospital in the mornings, Monday
through Saturday.
In order to prepare you for
your procedure, our Nurses will
contact you and
your doctor, coordinate and schedule any
necessary pre-tests and explain
what you need to do to be ready for the
procedure. On the day of the
procedure, the Radiologist will speak with
you and fully explain the risks
and benefits of the procedure, answer any
final questions you may have and
obtain your consent to proceed.
