PICCs and clots

[sue35]

Ok, so I couldn't flush my PICC again right now and I called the nurse on call and he said that it is probably a clot. He told me that tomorrow he will call my doctor and get medicine to undo the clot.

My question is, has anyone ever had this medicine? Is it a flush or what? I don't see how it can be a flush if it won't flush. I am praying it is not a shot or something.

Any one had this?

Thanks!

 

[sue35]

Ok, so I couldn't flush my PICC again right now and I called the nurse on call and he said that it is probably a clot. He told me that tomorrow he will call my doctor and get medicine to undo the clot.

My question is, has anyone ever had this medicine? Is it a flush or what? I don't see how it can be a flush if it won't flush. I am praying it is not a shot or something.

Any one had this?

Thanks!

 

[sue35]

Ok, so I couldn't flush my PICC again right now and I called the nurse on call and he said that it is probably a clot. He told me that tomorrow he will call my doctor and get medicine to undo the clot.

My question is, has anyone ever had this medicine? Is it a flush or what? I don't see how it can be a flush if it won't flush. I am praying it is not a shot or something.

Any one had this?

Thanks!

 

[PeteRose]

I get clots all the time when I have a PICC. Now they put me on blood thinners (shots or pills) while I have the PICC inserted.

 

[PeteRose]

I get clots all the time when I have a PICC. Now they put me on blood thinners (shots or pills) while I have the PICC inserted.

 

[PeteRose]

I get clots all the time when I have a PICC. Now they put me on blood thinners (shots or pills) while I have the PICC inserted.

 

[donnadee]

I was wondering the same thing, how can they inject medication in the line if it will not flush. I just had mine removed yesterday, the hospital would not try to give the medication for fear of blood clot going to head or heart. I hate the picc lines, I want my port back....

 

[donnadee]

I was wondering the same thing, how can they inject medication in the line if it will not flush. I just had mine removed yesterday, the hospital would not try to give the medication for fear of blood clot going to head or heart. I hate the picc lines, I want my port back....

 

[donnadee]

I was wondering the same thing, how can they inject medication in the line if it will not flush. I just had mine removed yesterday, the hospital would not try to give the medication for fear of blood clot going to head or heart. I hate the picc lines, I want my port back....

 

[Diane]

I had a picc ( or two) in the past that clotted and they mentioned putting something in it to open it, and i wondered the exact same thing. How can it get to the clot when it wont flush? I absolutely refused it and told them to pull the picc out and put in a peripheral line ( the regular small iv's) I dont get piccs anymore, because of all the problems i had with them, i cant take the stress of them. I get peripherals now and no we dont change them every 3 days, But my nurse does change the dressing every 3 days. Now of coarse if it is tender, red or having any problems at all we take it out and replace it. I've had a few last 2 full weeks and was still going strong. My doctor didnt like the idea of it, but knows i've had so many of them, that i know what to look for and also that my nurse lives very close to me and if there's a prob we can replace it right away.

 

[Diane]

I had a picc ( or two) in the past that clotted and they mentioned putting something in it to open it, and i wondered the exact same thing. How can it get to the clot when it wont flush? I absolutely refused it and told them to pull the picc out and put in a peripheral line ( the regular small iv's) I dont get piccs anymore, because of all the problems i had with them, i cant take the stress of them. I get peripherals now and no we dont change them every 3 days, But my nurse does change the dressing every 3 days. Now of coarse if it is tender, red or having any problems at all we take it out and replace it. I've had a few last 2 full weeks and was still going strong. My doctor didnt like the idea of it, but knows i've had so many of them, that i know what to look for and also that my nurse lives very close to me and if there's a prob we can replace it right away.

 

[Diane]

I had a picc ( or two) in the past that clotted and they mentioned putting something in it to open it, and i wondered the exact same thing. How can it get to the clot when it wont flush? I absolutely refused it and told them to pull the picc out and put in a peripheral line ( the regular small iv's) I dont get piccs anymore, because of all the problems i had with them, i cant take the stress of them. I get peripherals now and no we dont change them every 3 days, But my nurse does change the dressing every 3 days. Now of coarse if it is tender, red or having any problems at all we take it out and replace it. I've had a few last 2 full weeks and was still going strong. My doctor didnt like the idea of it, but knows i've had so many of them, that i know what to look for and also that my nurse lives very close to me and if there's a prob we can replace it right away.

 

[ChelsAnn]

Not sure about the PICC, but whenever my port won't flush and if they suspect a clot, they inject a clot-buster type medicine (I'll probably remember the name of it at 3 in the morning). In order to get it into the line, they use a stopcock, which uses some type of reverse pressure to pull the medicine into the line. The one's I have seen have two ports... and a valve that can shut off access to one port at a time. Usually, an empty syringe is connected to one port and a syringe containing the "clot-buster" is connected to the other port (and of course, the entire thing is connected to the PICC/port line). They pull back on the empty syringe to create negative pressure in the line and then shut the valve off the that syringe... and then the pressure in the line pulls the medication into it. That's a very general description of how it works. The idea then, is to let the clot-buster take effect and they check it every so often to see if the clot gets broken up. Hope this helps!

 

[ChelsAnn]

Not sure about the PICC, but whenever my port won't flush and if they suspect a clot, they inject a clot-buster type medicine (I'll probably remember the name of it at 3 in the morning). In order to get it into the line, they use a stopcock, which uses some type of reverse pressure to pull the medicine into the line. The one's I have seen have two ports... and a valve that can shut off access to one port at a time. Usually, an empty syringe is connected to one port and a syringe containing the "clot-buster" is connected to the other port (and of course, the entire thing is connected to the PICC/port line). They pull back on the empty syringe to create negative pressure in the line and then shut the valve off the that syringe... and then the pressure in the line pulls the medication into it. That's a very general description of how it works. The idea then, is to let the clot-buster take effect and they check it every so often to see if the clot gets broken up. Hope this helps!

 

[ChelsAnn]

Not sure about the PICC, but whenever my port won't flush and if they suspect a clot, they inject a clot-buster type medicine (I'll probably remember the name of it at 3 in the morning). In order to get it into the line, they use a stopcock, which uses some type of reverse pressure to pull the medicine into the line. The one's I have seen have two ports... and a valve that can shut off access to one port at a time. Usually, an empty syringe is connected to one port and a syringe containing the "clot-buster" is connected to the other port (and of course, the entire thing is connected to the PICC/port line). They pull back on the empty syringe to create negative pressure in the line and then shut the valve off the that syringe... and then the pressure in the line pulls the medication into it. That's a very general description of how it works. The idea then, is to let the clot-buster take effect and they check it every so often to see if the clot gets broken up. Hope this helps!

 

[chantelfox]

Mine clotted once and I just had to have it removed and another put in. They never used a "clot-buster"....the one I have heard of is Heparin...the stuff you put into your line at the end of each dose. Sorry, I can't be more help. I hope your doing well!!!!

 

[chantelfox]

Mine clotted once and I just had to have it removed and another put in. They never used a "clot-buster"....the one I have heard of is Heparin...the stuff you put into your line at the end of each dose. Sorry, I can't be more help. I hope your doing well!!!!

 

[chantelfox]

Mine clotted once and I just had to have it removed and another put in. They never used a "clot-buster"....the one I have heard of is Heparin...the stuff you put into your line at the end of each dose. Sorry, I can't be more help. I hope your doing well!!!!

 

[Asexyblond23]

Seeing as I just went thru this last week I know the name <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> It's called TPA. My picc was working fine for the first week then all of the sudden on thanksgiving it wouldnt flush. I would try to pull back on it and no blood was pulling back into the suringe. After about 2 hours it finally did. So i flushed it and ran my meds. That nights dose was a little slow but ok. 3 hours later I tried to flush it and it was a no go. I went to bed, the next morning I got up to run my morning dose, I tried again and nothing. For 2 hours I tried. I could get a little trickle of blood to come back in the tube line but nothing really. So I went to the ER and they said I had a clot. So they tired pushing in some TPA he must not have gotten much in b/c you couldnt really push anything in my line. After 10 mins he pulled back and it worked great. We flushed it and it worked fine. I believe that mine had a fibren sheeth in it. I had pulled back 2 before that week and that could of clogged my line up.

 

[Asexyblond23]

Seeing as I just went thru this last week I know the name <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> It's called TPA. My picc was working fine for the first week then all of the sudden on thanksgiving it wouldnt flush. I would try to pull back on it and no blood was pulling back into the suringe. After about 2 hours it finally did. So i flushed it and ran my meds. That nights dose was a little slow but ok. 3 hours later I tried to flush it and it was a no go. I went to bed, the next morning I got up to run my morning dose, I tried again and nothing. For 2 hours I tried. I could get a little trickle of blood to come back in the tube line but nothing really. So I went to the ER and they said I had a clot. So they tired pushing in some TPA he must not have gotten much in b/c you couldnt really push anything in my line. After 10 mins he pulled back and it worked great. We flushed it and it worked fine. I believe that mine had a fibren sheeth in it. I had pulled back 2 before that week and that could of clogged my line up.