Dysfunction with implantable ports is characterized by an absence of blood reflux. It can be associated to a decrease or loss of perfusion flow. Its incidence is of 0.6 to 2.5 per 1000...
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Central venous catheters dysfunctions: diagnosis, causes and treatment
Central venous catheters are intravenous devices whose distal end must be located at the atrio cava junction (union of superior vena cava and right atrium). They allow the infusion of irritant...
Skin lesions in Vascular Access: Management and Prevention
Skin lesions include MARSIs and various intrinsic or clinical conditions that pose a challenge in maintaining adequate fixation of the central catheter on the patient’s skin…
Understanding the Concept of Vessel Health and Preservation
Introduction Vascular access is the commonest invasive procedure performed on hospitalised patients, but it is not without complications1. Complications can include phlebitis, localised infection,...
Maintaining the patency of PICC catheters: 3 complications to be aware of
Ever since their creation, vascular access teams dedicated to PICC placement have proven to be efficient in reducing catheter-related complications. However, as Nancy Moureau commented in a clinical...
Short Peripheral Intravenous Catheters (SPIVC) vs Extended Dwell Catheters (EDC)
Introduction The aim of this article is to describe and discuss some differences between the short peripheral intravenous catheter (SPIVC) and the long peripheral intravenous catheter (LPIVC)...
What is the meaning of symbols on medical devices labels?
On medical devices labels, manufacturers have to include the necessary information about the equipment that healthcare professionals are going to use for patient care. Provided on products’ batches...
Mechanical complications of implantable ports – A testimonial of Dr Jean-Jacques Simon
The mechanical complications of an implantable port are numerous and frequent. However, they are often avoidable if the basic rules of insertion and use are known and respected. We can classify the...
Inadequate care in midlines: 5 complications to know
Intravenous therapy is a usual treatment for hospitalized patients and increasingly, for those who are at home. The administration of drugs can give rise to problems such as phlebitis and extravasation among others, which can force us to use various peripheral routes. Over time, different devices have emerged, including midlines…
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICCs): Best Practice
The last article in this series discussed methods to reduce the risk of complications in PICCs. This final article will focus on how to troubleshoot some of the most common complications associated with PICCs if they do occur…
The placement of PICC-ports by multidisciplinary teams – A Marta Rubio de las Cuevas interview
In this article, we interview Marta Rubio de las Cuevas on the placement of PICC-ports by multidisciplinary teams. Marta has been a nurse in the Vascular-Interventional Radiology Department at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital in Santander, which has been a pioneer in the training of multidisciplinary teams for the insertion of PICCs for 43 years…
5 things to know about thrombosis in PICCs
In this article, we will address thrombosis in peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) based on the following aspects: incidence, causes, physiology, symptomatology, and prevention…