Doctors use various treatment methods and devices to administer treatment to patients. Popularly known as a PICC, a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter line is a soft, flexible, and long tube used to administer various treatments and medications directly to the main central veins near the heart. This tube is usually inserted into the vein found on the upper arm. Your physician can recommend a PICC line, especially if your treatment plan consists of recurrent needle sticks for blood draws or medicine. A peripherally inserted central catheter is typically intended to be temporary. However, a PICC catheter can also be used if your treatment lasts several weeks.
What are the Common Situations Where the PICC Line is Recommended?
Total Parenteral Nutrition or Liquid Nutrition
Your doctor may recommend a PICC line if your body is unable to extract nutrients from foods you take orally. Therefore, your doctor will recommend this treatment line if you are experiencing digestive complications to enable you to receive liquid nutrition.
Moreover, PICC line catheter can be useful in serving babies that require intravenous(IV) medicine or fluids over an extended period. Typically, the standard IVs last for about 3 days after which they must be replaced. On the other hand, a peripherally inserted central catheter can last for up to 3 weeks or more. This way, even pre-term babies can be fed with the necessary nutrients to help them grow into healthy babies.
Cancer Treatments
Typically, medications infused through veins, including targeted therapy and chemotherapy drugs, can be administered using a PICC line catheter.
Treatments for Infections
Doctors can use a PICC catheter to deliver antifungal and antibiotic medicine both in adults and infants to cure serious infections.
Other Medications
Generally, some medicines may be too strong, thus irritating the small veins. In this case, your physician will recommend treatment through a PICC line to lower the risk of vein irritation. Unlike the smaller veins, the larger veins carrying blood to your heart are much bigger, thus allowing the medicine to dilute much faster. As a result, you will have little to no risk of vein injury.
While a PICC line catheter is popular for delivering medicine, this tube can also be used for other things, including blood transfusions and blood draws. Also, they can be used to deliver contrast material prior to an imaging test.
What are the Benefits of Using PICC Line Catheters?
Reduced Needles
When placed correctly, PICC lines can stay intact for weeks and even months simultaneously. This means that the patient will endure reduced needle pricks during the period of treatment. Your physician may also advise PICC catheter insertion when the patient's veins are hard to access.
Another significant advantage of utilizing PICCs is that they feature several lumens. A lumen includes caps and tubing feeding from different sources. The lumen, therefore, allows one to get more than one medication simultaneously. For instance, a patient could receive nutrient fluids and chemo medications at the same time.
Short-Term or Long Treatment
Usually, chemotherapy includes a cancer treatment that takes several weeks to complete. PICC line catheters come in handy in seeing the success of this process. Patients can go home with the PICC line until they get their final treatment as long as they do not tamper with it.
What Should You Expect?
The PICC catheter insertion process takes about 30 minutes to be completed. The insertion procedure does not necessarily mean you must remain in hospital. It can also be done as an outpatient procedure. The patient will be placed in a particular room utilizing imaging technology that helps perform the procedure with precision.
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