how is it given?

PICC lines

PICC stands for peripherally inserted central venous catheter. A PICC line is a thin flexible tube passed into a vein in the crook of your arm and threaded through until the end of the tube lies in a vein near your heart. You can either have this inserted under a local anaesthetic when you’re awake but you won’t feel anything, or a general anaesthetic when you are put to sleep.

Once it’s in place, the PICC line is taped securely to your arm to prevent it being pulled out. It can stay in place for many months. Having a PICC means you can have all your injections through it during your treatment. Blood can also be taken through the line for testing.

do I have to do anything?

The nurses will show you how to take care of your PICC line. It might feel pretty complicated at first, but most people get used to it quite quickly. You can bathe or shower, but you need to keep the area around the skin dry. There are waterproof covers for your arm that can help with this. The nurses will give you a supply of these.

potential problems:

PICC lines can get blocked which is a potential problem. To prevent this the line has to be ‘flushed’ once or twice a week with a drug called heparin or with salt water known as saline. The nurses can teach you or your parents to do this or a district nurse might be able to come to your home and do it for you.

Another possible problem is infection. If you notice any reddening, darkening or soreness of the skin around the PICC line or if you have a high temperature - usually above 38°C - let your doctor know. Infection can be treated with antibiotics.


Last reviewed: 30/07/2007