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PICC Line

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Quick Facts

Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Line

PICC lines and central lines allow patients to receive medication or nutrition without staying in a hospital. Some of these lines can be left in place for several months.

A tunneled dialysis catheter (TDC) is a dialysis access option for people who need dialysis therapy and may not be able to have a fistula or graft placed. The TDC can be used as soon as correct placement is confirmed. Sometimes people use a TDC temporarily while they wait for a fistula or graft to mature.

Why It's Done

PICC LINES AND CENTRAL LINES CAN ADMINISTER:
  • Antibiotics that must be taken through a vein over a period of time.
  • Chemotherapy.
  • Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) if you are unable to absorb food through your gastrointestinal system and need to be fed through a vein.
TUNNELED DIALYSIS CATHETERS ARE USED FOR:
  • Hemodialysis for kidney disease.

Description

Although each of these catheters has different characteristics, they all require a sterile environment for placement.

  • A PICC line or central line can be placed in an exam or hospital room.
    • PICC lines are positioned in the upper arm.
    • A central line is positioned in the neck and around the collarbone, or occasionally in the groin.
  • A tunneled dialysis catheter (TDC) needs to be placed in a room where a fluoroscopy test can be done. It is positioned under the skin in the neck and around the collarbone, or occasionally in the groin.

The procedure takes about 1–1-½ hours.

  • An ultrasound test is usually done to identify the most suitable vein.
  • The insertion site is cleaned. Numbing medicine is administered where the vein will be accessed.
  • A small micro-puncture needle is used to enter the vein. A guide wire is then passed through the needle into the vein. The line or catheter is then inserted over the wire. The wire is then removed.
  • An X-ray or fluoroscopy image is taken to confirm correct tip placement before the catheter is secured
  • Risks
  • How to Prepare
  • What Can I Expect After Treatment?

Possible complications from a PICC line include:

  • Infection.

Possible complications from a central line include:

  • Infection.
  • Collapsed lung (pneumothorax), which can occur at the time of insertion. 

Possible complications from a tunneled dialysis catheter (TDC) include:

  • Infection.
  • A blood clot (thrombosis) that forms in the catheter and prevents or limits blood flow.
  • A blood clot (central venous occlusion) that can block the large vessels in the chest and can cause chest and neck swelling. 
    • Often this can be corrected with a balloon angioplasty administered through the vein. A balloon device is slowly inflated inside the blocked portion of the vein to re-open the vessel and restore blood flow. 
    • Sometimes “clot busting” medications called thrombolytics are used with the balloon angioplasty to correct the blockage.
  • The catheter can become dislodged or kinked.
  • Collapsed lung (pneumothorax), which can occur at the time of insertion.
CALL YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER IF YOU DEVELOP ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS:
  • Temperature greater than 101.5.
  • Shakes or chills.
  • Chest pain.
  • Shortness of breath. 
  • Drainage from the insertion site. 

You may be asked to discontinue certain blood-thinning medications before the procedure.


  • You may have some discomfort where the line or catheter is placed. This should resolve within a few days.
  • It is important to keep the area around the access site for the catheter dry and clean. You should wash your hands before directly touching the line or catheter.
  • Call your health care provider if you develop any of the following symptoms: temperature great than 101.5, shakes or chills, chest pain, shortness of breath, drainage from the insertion site.

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