Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters And Midline Catheters Child
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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:
- PICC lines and midline catheters (kath-uh-ters) are used when your child needs IV medicines and fluids. A catheter is a small flexible plastic tube. The catheter is put in and tunneled through a vein under the skin. Veins are tubes inside the body that carry blood from the parts of the body to the heart. The catheter is usually put in on the inside of your child's arm. A midline is tunneled up your child's arm towards the shoulder. A PICC line goes past the shoulder to the large veins near your child's heart.
- Through a PICC or midline catheter, your child may have blood taken for tests. Having the catheter may keep your child's arm from being stuck many times with a needle. There will be 1 or 2 small tails (tubes) coming from the catheter in your child's arm.
CARE AGREEMENT:
You have the right to help plan your child's care. To help with this plan, you must learn about catheters. You can then discuss choices with your child's caregivers. Work with them to decide what choices may be best for your child.
RISKS:
- There are always risks with any medical procedure. Your child may bleed or get an infection (in-fek-shun). Your child may have trouble breathing, or get blood clots. Caregivers will watch your child closely for these problems. The end of the catheter may move, or become damaged or blocked. If this happens, your child may need to have another catheter put in.
- The catheter may damage the skin of your child's arm. If IV fluid leaks out of the catheter into your child's body, your child could get an infection. Air could get into your child's blood through the catheter, or your child could get an irregular heartbeat. Rarely, your child's lung may collapse or the catheter can break apart. Your child may even die. Call your child's caregiver if you are worried or have questions.
TREATMENT:
- Your child will lie on his back. Your child may be given medicine to make him sleepy. Your child's caregiver will decide which arm is best to use for the catheter. Your child's arm will be measured so caregivers know how far to put the catheter in. A caregiver will clean your child's arm with soap. This soap may make your child's skin yellow, but it will be cleaned off later. Towels will be put over the area. Do not let your child touch the towels or the cleaned area.
- Your child's caregiver will put a needle with a plastic cover through your child's skin into a vein. The needle will be removed and the cover will stay in to hold the vein open. A soft guide wire is put through the cover and threaded over the wire. PICC lines have a thin wire in them to make them stiffer. Midline catheters do not have a wire in them. The catheter is tunneled through your child's vein up his arm. A special x-ray is used to see that the catheter is in the right place. When the catheter is in the right place, the cover and the wire are removed.
- If your child is awake, your child may cry or say his hand, arm, shoulder, chest, neck or ear is hurting. If it looks or sounds like your child is having pain, tell your child's caregiver. Your caregiver can move the catheter to make this stop. The catheter may be attached with thread and then taped to your child's skin. A clean bandage will be over it. There may be one or two tubes (tails) hanging from the catheter in your child's arm.
CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:
- Your child has a fever (increased body temperature).
- You have questions or concerns about having the catheter put in your child.
Copyright © 2008 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.
The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.
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