Congratulations to our clinical leadership teams at St. Matthews Care Center and Lyndon Woods Care and Rehabilitation in Louisville, Kentucky for recently completing a PICC/Midline Insertion Class to support our vascular access teams and programs. Provided by CVC Health Care, this training covers ultrasound-guided vascular access insertion and infection prevention strategies while developing staff education materials and policies.
PICC Versus Midline
Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) and midline catheters are two types of vascular access devices (VAD).
Midline catheters are peripheral lines that are longer than a regular IV and are usually put into a vein in the upper arm. Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) are central lines placed in a large vein in the arm and ending in a large vein near the heart. A PICC can be used for longer periods of time than a midline.
The patient’s diagnosis, the predicted length of time the line will be needed and the type of infusion are all considered when deciding which type of VAD the patient will need.
What is a Vascular Access Team?
Vascular access is the placement of a catheter line (a thin tube) into a patient’s vein to provide treatment or therapy (also called infusion or IV therapy). A vascular access team is the grouping of healthcare professionals whose primary role is to assess, insert, manage, monitor, solve clinical concerns and remove VADs.
