Picc Line

Hello Everybody. I have a Picc Line in me for 14 months. I had the original line in me for 12 months until it got infected. They found out when I was in the hospital the infection got into my blood stream and had to give me heavy antibotics for four days. Three weeks later, when I went in the get my first Humira ( No improvement yet, Second shot monday) they found the new line was infected again but luckily my blood did not get infected and so they put a new line in me.
Whoever has had a Picc line. How long, any problems or concerns? Thanks, Lou

Why exactly do you have the PICC? Are you getting TPN or antibiotics or what?

Good Afternoon,

Both my hubby and my sister had PICC lines.  A PICC line is used when a person needs intravenous medication, chemotherapy, TPN or fluids for an extended period of time. It is also used when someone requires frequent blood sampling. The most common use for a PICC line is for giving antibiotics and chemotherapy through the veins.

The PICC catheter can generally remain in place from five days to several months. In some cases, the catheter can remain in place for up to a year.

My husband's PICC was for TPN when he had his resection for Crohn's and things went south.  He was in the hospital for 16 days.

My sister had her PICC line for 10 months when she had chemo for her cancer.

Care of the PICC line = The catheter site must be kept dry. The person may bathe or shower as long as the insertion site is protected with a water-resistant covering. The person's blood pressure should not be taken in the arm with the PICC line. The PICC line site should be checked every day for signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, or pain.

Most people that go home with a PICC line will have a visiting nurse come by to check it or when you go for your chemo or treatments the PICC line will be checked of patency.

 

I have my TPN and Antibotics running thru my Picc line. I keep it clean that is why it was in for over a year. The problem the drs. think was that my infection was coming up from my open wounds and continues to do so. One week my white blood cell count is high, the next week it is high. It is strange. The took a piece of both lines and did cultures on them and they found many germs on them. The one I have now seems to be ok. Thanks for share everybody..

It is possible to get an infection even with good sterile technique either due to getting an infection from somewhere else in your body as mr. d had happen or due to migration of bacteria into the interface between the PICC line and the skin. This was the explanation given to my sister when her PICC line, which had been placed in OR, got infected in under 6 hours before she even left the hospital and before the PICC line had even been used.

There isn't anything you can do about the first except treat the systemic infection. In the second case the PICC line must be removed and a new one placed in a different location.