Picc line placement how long

Once the catheter is in place the wire will be removed. Pressure will be applied to stop any potential bleeding and the catheter will be taped in place on your arm.

You will not need stitches. The procedure usually takes 30 to 40 minutes. When you feel ready you will be able to go home. You may feel some discomfort after the procedure.

This can usually be treated with over-the-counter pain medications. Please tell your doctor if you experience any swelling or major discomfort or develop a fever.

There are things you can do to make your experience more comfortable, and many of these will depend on your individual preferences. Keep in mind that this information is general. Your radiologist is the best source of information about how these risks and benefits may apply to you. Interventional Radiology Need to Know. The nurse cleans your arm and covers it with a sterile cloth to prevent infection.

The nurse places a tourniquet on your arm. You get a numbing medicine. The nurse puts a small needle into the vein, inserts the introducer needle and guides the PICC line into the vein near your heart. You have a chest x-ray afterwards to make sure that the PICC line is in the right place.

After numbing the skin, the nurse places sutures to hold the PICC line in place. The nurse covers the insertion site with a clear, sterile dressing and a pressure bandage. The dressing is changed after 24 hours or twice a week. Cover the insertion site with clear, plastic wrap and tape to keep it dry before showering.

No swimming. No hot tubs. Avoid a lot of arm movement and coughing. Avoid lifting weight. Check with your doctor about activity limitations with your PICC line. Your arm may be tender and a little uncomfortable for one to two days. Rest your arm for one day after the insertion.

It is normal to see a small amount of blood leaking from the insertion site the day after the procedure. There may also be some bruising. When you are home, your PICC line is cared for by a nurse from a home care agency, your doctor's office or an infusion center.

You can also learn to take care of the line yourself. Warmth, redness or swelling along the arm or PICC line insertion site. A tear or break in the PICC line catheter or tubing. The IV pump continues to alarm, even after flushing the catheter. Related Content. Infusion Centers Chemotherapy Cancer Services. Doctor Profiles. The following doctors are part of the Sutter Health network. Learn about the doctors on this site.

Jasdeepa Nagi, M. Roy E. Abendroth, M. John M. Rabkin, M. Alan M. Kramer, M. To locate a medical imaging or radiation oncology provider in your community, you can search the ACR-accredited facilities database.

This website does not provide cost information. The costs for specific medical imaging tests, treatments and procedures may vary by geographic region. Web page review process: This Web page is reviewed regularly by a physician with expertise in the medical area presented and is further reviewed by committees from the Radiological Society of North America RSNA and the American College of Radiology ACR , comprising physicians with expertise in several radiologic areas.

Outside links: For the convenience of our users, RadiologyInfo. Toggle navigation. What are some common uses of the procedure? How should my child prepare? What does the equipment look like? How is the procedure performed? What will my child experience during the procedure? Who interprets the results and how do we get them? What are the benefits vs. What are the limitations of a PICC line placement? A PICC line may be used when patients need: prolonged IV antibiotic treatment medications that cannot be safely swallowed by the patient medications that cannot be safely delivered through a standard IV line chemotherapy anti-cancer drugs IV feeding for nutritional support repeated blood draws.

The skin at the PICC insertion site is cleaned and covered with a sterile surgical drape. Devices to monitor your child's heart rate and blood pressure may be attached to their body. Call the doctor if you have any questions about your child's PICC line or if: The device malfunctions.

There is bleeding at the insertion site. Your child develops a fever. There is redness, increased swelling, tenderness, warmth or fluid drainage at the catheter insertion site. A PICC line provides a simple and painless means of drawing blood, delivering drugs and nutrients, or both.

A PICC line may spare the patient the discomfort and stress of repeated needle punctures. A PICC line is a great solution for patients requiring treatment over a longer period of time, such as chemotherapy. They will not need to have an IV line placed for each treatment. A PICC line may be necessary when medicines or fluids that irritate the wall of the vein are needed.

Risks PICC lines pose risks occurring during or shortly after placement. PICC line placement risks include: Any procedure that involves placing a catheter inside a blood vessel carries the risk of damaging the blood vessel.

However, precautions are taken to reduce these risks. Bruising and bleeding may occur. This risk can be minimized through a blood test in advance to be sure that your child's blood clots normally. If your child's blood is too thin, the procedure may be postponed. Or, your child may receive medication or blood products to improve blood clotting. The normal heart rhythm may be disturbed while the catheter is inserted, but this is usually only temporary.

The problem is easily recognized during the procedure and eliminated by adjusting the catheter position. Rarely, the catheter will enter an artery rather than a vein. If this happens, the catheter will have to be removed.

Most often the artery heals by itself. It rarely has to be surgically repaired. Delayed Risks: Two types of delayed infection may develop: skin infection at the catheter insertion site or bloodstream infection. The risk of delayed infection can be minimized if everyone handling the device carefully follows the sterile care instructions provided. The PICC line site should be carefully inspected each time the dressing is changed. The risk of infection is higher for individuals who have low white blood cell counts.

A hole or break in the catheter may lead to fluid leakage. Two important first aid measures: 1 clamp the catheter between the damaged part and the skin insertion site; 2 tape a sterile gauze pad to the skin to cover the break. Catheters rarely fracture inside the body. If this does happen, a chest x-ray will show the problem. The broken fragment can usually be removed without open surgery. The catheter may become accidentally dislodged. If this happens, apply pressure to the insertion site using a sterile dressing and call your child's doctor immediately.

The bleeding usually stops within several minutes. A large amount of air in the catheter may create an emergency that causes chest pain or shortness of breath.

If your child develops chest pain or shortness of breath, you should clamp the catheter right away. Have your child lie down on their left side and call This problem can be avoided by always clamping the catheter before and after inserting a syringe.

Make sure that the catheter cap is screwed on tightly.