Picc Lines

L

Lance2020x

New member
My brother and I have had quite a few picc-lines and they treat it like a minor surgery. We don't get sedation, they just numb the area of the arm where they are placing the picc. They use an ultrasound machine to find the best entrance spot and to help guide the line in. After it's in we get a paper and go to x-ray where they make sure it went into the proper ports. And that's it! It's not treated as a big deal in any way... If the doctor placing the PICC is good the whole process from lying in the bed to heading to x-ray takes 5 minutes.

I do have a horror story of a doctor I had (that I will never let place a PICC again) where she cut the artery THREE TIMES before she finally called the other doctors over. All the while she was talking to herself saying things like "Okay I'm a little shaken now, let me rest for a second to get my composure... okay here goes! Lets try again! Oh I hit the artery again.... now I'm REALLY shaken.... well one more try..."
 
L

Lance2020x

New member
My brother and I have had quite a few picc-lines and they treat it like a minor surgery. We don't get sedation, they just numb the area of the arm where they are placing the picc. They use an ultrasound machine to find the best entrance spot and to help guide the line in. After it's in we get a paper and go to x-ray where they make sure it went into the proper ports. And that's it! It's not treated as a big deal in any way... If the doctor placing the PICC is good the whole process from lying in the bed to heading to x-ray takes 5 minutes.

I do have a horror story of a doctor I had (that I will never let place a PICC again) where she cut the artery THREE TIMES before she finally called the other doctors over. All the while she was talking to herself saying things like "Okay I'm a little shaken now, let me rest for a second to get my composure... okay here goes! Lets try again! Oh I hit the artery again.... now I'm REALLY shaken.... well one more try..."
 
L

Lance2020x

New member
My brother and I have had quite a few picc-lines and they treat it like a minor surgery. We don't get sedation, they just numb the area of the arm where they are placing the picc. They use an ultrasound machine to find the best entrance spot and to help guide the line in. After it's in we get a paper and go to x-ray where they make sure it went into the proper ports. And that's it! It's not treated as a big deal in any way... If the doctor placing the PICC is good the whole process from lying in the bed to heading to x-ray takes 5 minutes.

I do have a horror story of a doctor I had (that I will never let place a PICC again) where she cut the artery THREE TIMES before she finally called the other doctors over. All the while she was talking to herself saying things like "Okay I'm a little shaken now, let me rest for a second to get my composure... okay here goes! Lets try again! Oh I hit the artery again.... now I'm REALLY shaken.... well one more try..."
 
L

Lance2020x

New member
My brother and I have had quite a few picc-lines and they treat it like a minor surgery. We don't get sedation, they just numb the area of the arm where they are placing the picc. They use an ultrasound machine to find the best entrance spot and to help guide the line in. After it's in we get a paper and go to x-ray where they make sure it went into the proper ports. And that's it! It's not treated as a big deal in any way... If the doctor placing the PICC is good the whole process from lying in the bed to heading to x-ray takes 5 minutes.

I do have a horror story of a doctor I had (that I will never let place a PICC again) where she cut the artery THREE TIMES before she finally called the other doctors over. All the while she was talking to herself saying things like "Okay I'm a little shaken now, let me rest for a second to get my composure... okay here goes! Lets try again! Oh I hit the artery again.... now I'm REALLY shaken.... well one more try..."
 
L

Lance2020x

New member
My brother and I have had quite a few picc-lines and they treat it like a minor surgery. We don't get sedation, they just numb the area of the arm where they are placing the picc. They use an ultrasound machine to find the best entrance spot and to help guide the line in. After it's in we get a paper and go to x-ray where they make sure it went into the proper ports. And that's it! It's not treated as a big deal in any way... If the doctor placing the PICC is good the whole process from lying in the bed to heading to x-ray takes 5 minutes.
<br />
<br />I do have a horror story of a doctor I had (that I will never let place a PICC again) where she cut the artery THREE TIMES before she finally called the other doctors over. All the while she was talking to herself saying things like "Okay I'm a little shaken now, let me rest for a second to get my composure... okay here goes! Lets try again! Oh I hit the artery again.... now I'm REALLY shaken.... well one more try..."
 
J

JazzysMom

New member
My first 3 were done at bedside in my hospital room by the iv team. Numbing cream was applied. For the most part it went well. It looked like an OR. One time in my left arm they had a problem getting passed a bend in the vein so they had to try again.

After those 3 times the IV team no longer did them & we now get sent to IR where they check with a sonogram to find a vein. Everything else is pretty much the same. The difference is that they give me shots of lidocaine instead of the numbing cream. I havent needed anything to relax me yet, but its coming. Each time becomes more difficult to place a picc. The last 2 times I think they both took 3 tries or more to get it.

I also had one try at home by the home health agency with NO numbing cream. They attempted one time & didnt get it LOL! They didnt get a second chance.

Our clinic has a fundraiser (actually the family of a former doctor who was a CF patient) going to aquire the needed equipment so our CF Clinic can do the picc lines right in the clinic.

Hopefully the funds & purchase will happen soon!
 
J

JazzysMom

New member
My first 3 were done at bedside in my hospital room by the iv team. Numbing cream was applied. For the most part it went well. It looked like an OR. One time in my left arm they had a problem getting passed a bend in the vein so they had to try again.

After those 3 times the IV team no longer did them & we now get sent to IR where they check with a sonogram to find a vein. Everything else is pretty much the same. The difference is that they give me shots of lidocaine instead of the numbing cream. I havent needed anything to relax me yet, but its coming. Each time becomes more difficult to place a picc. The last 2 times I think they both took 3 tries or more to get it.

I also had one try at home by the home health agency with NO numbing cream. They attempted one time & didnt get it LOL! They didnt get a second chance.

Our clinic has a fundraiser (actually the family of a former doctor who was a CF patient) going to aquire the needed equipment so our CF Clinic can do the picc lines right in the clinic.

Hopefully the funds & purchase will happen soon!
 
J

JazzysMom

New member
My first 3 were done at bedside in my hospital room by the iv team. Numbing cream was applied. For the most part it went well. It looked like an OR. One time in my left arm they had a problem getting passed a bend in the vein so they had to try again.

After those 3 times the IV team no longer did them & we now get sent to IR where they check with a sonogram to find a vein. Everything else is pretty much the same. The difference is that they give me shots of lidocaine instead of the numbing cream. I havent needed anything to relax me yet, but its coming. Each time becomes more difficult to place a picc. The last 2 times I think they both took 3 tries or more to get it.

I also had one try at home by the home health agency with NO numbing cream. They attempted one time & didnt get it LOL! They didnt get a second chance.

Our clinic has a fundraiser (actually the family of a former doctor who was a CF patient) going to aquire the needed equipment so our CF Clinic can do the picc lines right in the clinic.

Hopefully the funds & purchase will happen soon!
 
J

JazzysMom

New member
My first 3 were done at bedside in my hospital room by the iv team. Numbing cream was applied. For the most part it went well. It looked like an OR. One time in my left arm they had a problem getting passed a bend in the vein so they had to try again.

After those 3 times the IV team no longer did them & we now get sent to IR where they check with a sonogram to find a vein. Everything else is pretty much the same. The difference is that they give me shots of lidocaine instead of the numbing cream. I havent needed anything to relax me yet, but its coming. Each time becomes more difficult to place a picc. The last 2 times I think they both took 3 tries or more to get it.

I also had one try at home by the home health agency with NO numbing cream. They attempted one time & didnt get it LOL! They didnt get a second chance.

Our clinic has a fundraiser (actually the family of a former doctor who was a CF patient) going to aquire the needed equipment so our CF Clinic can do the picc lines right in the clinic.

Hopefully the funds & purchase will happen soon!
 
J

JazzysMom

New member
My first 3 were done at bedside in my hospital room by the iv team. Numbing cream was applied. For the most part it went well. It looked like an OR. One time in my left arm they had a problem getting passed a bend in the vein so they had to try again.
<br />
<br />After those 3 times the IV team no longer did them & we now get sent to IR where they check with a sonogram to find a vein. Everything else is pretty much the same. The difference is that they give me shots of lidocaine instead of the numbing cream. I havent needed anything to relax me yet, but its coming. Each time becomes more difficult to place a picc. The last 2 times I think they both took 3 tries or more to get it.
<br />
<br />I also had one try at home by the home health agency with NO numbing cream. They attempted one time & didnt get it LOL! They didnt get a second chance.
<br />
<br />Our clinic has a fundraiser (actually the family of a former doctor who was a CF patient) going to aquire the needed equipment so our CF Clinic can do the picc lines right in the clinic.
<br />
<br />Hopefully the funds & purchase will happen soon!
 
H

Havoc

New member
My first they used a nice superficial vein (cephalic). It was a breeze, they slid a 5fr right in. My 2nd PICC they accessed the Basilic with ultrasonography. I can say that this was much more traumatic and even with the ultrasound they were unsuccessful on the first attempt. I guess I can understand going for larger, deeper veins in people who are notoriously hard to access, but for those of us with pipeline veins close to the surface, I don't see the point. I'm a big fan of taking the path of least resistance.

I have also run into 2 patients in the course of my normal work routine who have had lots of problems with their ultrasound PICC placements. I can assure you if I ever have to have a PICC placed again, they won't be digging around with ultrasound. I'll do my own peripheral lines first.
 
H

Havoc

New member
My first they used a nice superficial vein (cephalic). It was a breeze, they slid a 5fr right in. My 2nd PICC they accessed the Basilic with ultrasonography. I can say that this was much more traumatic and even with the ultrasound they were unsuccessful on the first attempt. I guess I can understand going for larger, deeper veins in people who are notoriously hard to access, but for those of us with pipeline veins close to the surface, I don't see the point. I'm a big fan of taking the path of least resistance.

I have also run into 2 patients in the course of my normal work routine who have had lots of problems with their ultrasound PICC placements. I can assure you if I ever have to have a PICC placed again, they won't be digging around with ultrasound. I'll do my own peripheral lines first.
 
H

Havoc

New member
My first they used a nice superficial vein (cephalic). It was a breeze, they slid a 5fr right in. My 2nd PICC they accessed the Basilic with ultrasonography. I can say that this was much more traumatic and even with the ultrasound they were unsuccessful on the first attempt. I guess I can understand going for larger, deeper veins in people who are notoriously hard to access, but for those of us with pipeline veins close to the surface, I don't see the point. I'm a big fan of taking the path of least resistance.

I have also run into 2 patients in the course of my normal work routine who have had lots of problems with their ultrasound PICC placements. I can assure you if I ever have to have a PICC placed again, they won't be digging around with ultrasound. I'll do my own peripheral lines first.
 
H

Havoc

New member
My first they used a nice superficial vein (cephalic). It was a breeze, they slid a 5fr right in. My 2nd PICC they accessed the Basilic with ultrasonography. I can say that this was much more traumatic and even with the ultrasound they were unsuccessful on the first attempt. I guess I can understand going for larger, deeper veins in people who are notoriously hard to access, but for those of us with pipeline veins close to the surface, I don't see the point. I'm a big fan of taking the path of least resistance.

I have also run into 2 patients in the course of my normal work routine who have had lots of problems with their ultrasound PICC placements. I can assure you if I ever have to have a PICC placed again, they won't be digging around with ultrasound. I'll do my own peripheral lines first.
 
H

Havoc

New member
My first they used a nice superficial vein (cephalic). It was a breeze, they slid a 5fr right in. My 2nd PICC they accessed the Basilic with ultrasonography. I can say that this was much more traumatic and even with the ultrasound they were unsuccessful on the first attempt. I guess I can understand going for larger, deeper veins in people who are notoriously hard to access, but for those of us with pipeline veins close to the surface, I don't see the point. I'm a big fan of taking the path of least resistance.
<br />
<br />I have also run into 2 patients in the course of my normal work routine who have had lots of problems with their ultrasound PICC placements. I can assure you if I ever have to have a PICC placed again, they won't be digging around with ultrasound. I'll do my own peripheral lines first.
 
S

saveferris2009

New member
I have mine placed bedside.

The inject numbing creme in the area after using a sonogram bedside to determine where the PICC will go.

It looks like an OR.

I'm a weenie so I get a benzo usually to calm my nerves <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
S

saveferris2009

New member
I have mine placed bedside.

The inject numbing creme in the area after using a sonogram bedside to determine where the PICC will go.

It looks like an OR.

I'm a weenie so I get a benzo usually to calm my nerves <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
S

saveferris2009

New member
I have mine placed bedside.

The inject numbing creme in the area after using a sonogram bedside to determine where the PICC will go.

It looks like an OR.

I'm a weenie so I get a benzo usually to calm my nerves <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
S

saveferris2009

New member
I have mine placed bedside.

The inject numbing creme in the area after using a sonogram bedside to determine where the PICC will go.

It looks like an OR.

I'm a weenie so I get a benzo usually to calm my nerves <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
S

saveferris2009

New member
I have mine placed bedside.
<br />
<br />The inject numbing creme in the area after using a sonogram bedside to determine where the PICC will go.
<br />
<br />It looks like an OR.
<br />
<br />I'm a weenie so I get a benzo usually to calm my nerves <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
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