A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), also called a PICC line, is a long, thin tube that's inserted through a vein in your arm and passed through to the larger veins near your heart. Very rarely, the PICC line may be placed in your leg. A PICC line gives your doctor access to the large central veins near the heart. It's generally used to give medications or liquid nutrition. A PICC line can help avoid the pain of frequent needle sticks and reduce the risk of irritation to the smaller veins in your arms. A PICC line requires careful care and monitoring for complications, including infection and blood clots. If you're considering a PICC line, discuss the benefits and risks with your doctor. A PICC line is one type of catheter used to access the large veins in your chest (central venous catheter). Examples of other types of central venous catheters include implantable ports and central lines.

Why it's done

A PICC line is used to deliver medications and other treatments directly to the large central veins near your heart.

Your doctor might recommend a PICC line if your treatment plan requires frequent needle sticks for medicine or blood draws. A PICC line is usually intended to be temporary and might be an option if your treatment is expected to last up to several weeks.

A PICC line is commonly recommended for:

• Cancer treatments. Medicines that are infused through a vein, such as some chemotherapy and targeted therapy drugs, can be delivered through a PICC line.
• Liquid nutrition (total parenteral nutrition). If your body can't process nutrients from food because of digestive system problems, you may need a PICC line for receiving liquid nutrition.
• Infection treatments. Antibiotics and antifungal medicines can be given through a PICC line for serious infections.
• Other medications. Some medicines can irritate the small veins, and giving these treatments through the PICC line reduces that risk. The larger veins in your chest carry more blood, so the medicines are diluted much faster, reducing the risk of injury to the veins.

What is a Hickman line?

A Hickman line is a thin, long silicone catheter that is inserted through one side of the chest area and threaded via a large vein to a place near your heart. . The line has 2 or 3 openings called lumens that allow the simultaneous administration of different medications. Each lumen is sealed off with a needle-free connector at the end and has a clamp along the line to control the flow of medication or to close the line when not in use. . The insertion is performed under local anaesthetic. After the procedure, you will be able to go home with the Hickman line on the same day, and the line can be left in place for weeks or months until you complete your treatment.

It is recommended for long-term treatments that require:

• Frequent administration of intravenous (IV) therapies such as chemotherapy.
• Frequent taking of blood samples.
• Direct administration of medicines into the central vein.

The benefits of having a Hickman line in place include:

• Reducing the discomfort, pain and damage to the veins caused by these long-term treatments.
• You will not need to be injected by needles every time you have treatment or when blood samples are required.

Chemoport Insertion

A chemoport is a venous access made through a central vein which helps in instilling intravenous (IV) chemotherapy. The process of chemoport placement involves placing a small device under the skin on the chest wall of the patient to get venous (vascular) access for IV medications. Chemoport is a safe and easy way to get access to the bloodstream. There are different types of chemoports available which can be inserted according to the needs and requirements of a patient.

Why is Chemoport Insertion done?

The main purpose of chemoport insertion is to infuse chemotherapiotic drugs. It can also be used to draw blood or to infuse red blood cells. A port is very useful for doctors and nurses to get easy access to the patient's veins.

What are the advantages of port insertion?

Following are some advantages of having a chemoport insertion:

• Avoids the need for peripheral infusion of chemotherapeutics.
• It reduces tissue or muscle damage due to the leakage of chemotherapy medications.
• Since the port is completely under the skin, one can take bath or swim without any risk of infection.
• Apart from using the port for chemotherapeutics,it can also be used for drawing blood as well as transfusing blood .

What are the risks of port insertion?

As with any surgical procedure, the chemoport insertion also carries certain risks. They are as follows:

• Infection is most common in any surgical procedure. If the catheter gets infected it can be managed by the antibiotics or it is removed and replaced.
• In some cases,the chemoport can get expelled.
• Chemoport insertion leaves behind a scar.
• The chances of bleeding is also possible.

When should the chemoport be removed?

The patient is advised to keed the chemoport atleast till the treatment end but it can be left in-situ for atleast 5years.