A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is a flexible catheter that is inserted in a peripheral vein in the arm. This catheter is then guided to a larger vein that eventually leads to the heart.
A PICC line is typically used to provide long term treatment to a patient using a large vein near the heart. The most common use cases include providing:
- Peripheral (PPN) or total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for those that need to supplement or replace their nutritional requirements.
- Medications such as antibiotics to fight a serious infection
- Chemotherapy for treatment of cancers