How much do you know about PICC?

This is the 3320th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

When we talk about PICC, we may think of China Life Insurance. The PICC I want to talk about today is a central venous catheter inserted through a peripheral vein. It uses a catheter to puncture the vein in the peripheral arm and directly reaches the large vein close to the heart. In 1929, German doctors inserted the first peripheral central venous catheter, and PICC catheterization technology was introduced to my country in the late 1990s. Then some people have questions, why do we use PICC, and what is the difference between it and ordinary intravenous indwelling needles and steel needles?

Advantages of using a PICC

1. It can avoid direct contact between chemotherapy drugs and arm veins. In addition, the blood flow rate of large veins is very fast, which can quickly dilute chemotherapy drugs and prevent drugs from irritating blood vessels. Therefore, it can effectively protect upper limb veins, reduce the occurrence of phlebitis and tissue necrosis, relieve patients' pain, and improve patients' quality of life.

2. It can reduce the pain caused to patients by repeated venipuncture, and the operation method is simple and easy.

3. The PICC catheter material is made of special polyurethane, which has good tissue compatibility and compliance. The catheter is very soft and not easy to break. It can be left in the body for 6 months to 1 year. The patient's living habits will basically not be affected after the catheter is placed.

For people with PICC tubes, what should they pay attention to in daily life?

1. PICC maintenance requires dressing changes within the first 24 hours.

2. When the wound heals well and there is no infection or bleeding, go to the hospital for PICC catheter maintenance and replace the film every 7 days. If you extend the maintenance time on your own, it may increase the occurrence of complications such as tube blockage and infection, delaying your treatment.

3. If there is redness, swelling, pain, exudation at the puncture site, the catheter slips out of the body, numbness, swelling, pain in the arm where the catheter is placed, or other abnormal symptoms, please come to the hospital for treatment in time.

4. Please be sure to record the maintenance date after each PICC catheter maintenance.

5. After PICC catheterization, you can choose to take a shower, but try not to take a bath or hot spring. Before showering, you can wrap the puncture site with a dry towel, and then wrap the towel with plastic wrap for several times to ensure that the upper and lower edges of the plastic wrap are in a closed state. After showering, check whether the film is soaked in water in time. If there is any abnormality, come to the hospital to replace the film in time.

6. After PICC placement, reasonable activities can reduce the occurrence of complications, such as clenching fists, washing face, sweeping the floor, etc. However, some activities should be avoided, such as lifting heavy objects, swimming, holding children, playing ball, etc.

7. There are two types of PICC clinically: high-pressure-resistant (purple) and non-high-pressure-resistant (blue). If you place a high-pressure-resistant catheter, you can perform enhanced CT examination. Conversely, you cannot perform enhanced CT examination if you place a non-high-pressure-resistant catheter. Usually before placement, the nurse will inform you of the type of catheter and precautions.

Author: Emergency Department, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital (Lingang Area)

Yang Shijie