have a pt from another facility with picc line inserted. over the weekend the nurse noticed some swelling to extremity and had DR get u.s. It was found to have a small thrombus in the mid/distal cephalic vein.
Problem is....the picc was in the basilic vein. and.... no attempts were made on the cephalic vein?? could it have been from a peripheral attempt?
How does this happen and what is best way to treat it?
when I went in to see pt, he was totally asymptomatic . He did have some local irriation to a smaller vessel in forearm from prior peripheral but not upper extremity. so.....since thrombus not in deep vein and...not in same vessel as picc line to continue to monitor pt for any symptoms and keep arm elevated, and keep current picc line in place. maybe symptoms nurse noted were from iv issues in forearm that caused her to get u.s. only to find the cephalic thrombus??
thanks for input in advance
See my reply to your post on the thread Teaching. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
126 Main Street, PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Thank you Lynn. I will have to see if I canhave the radiologist go over the imaging better to get more definition. I understand what you are sayiing and was thinking that the verbage on the u.s. results were not very specific either.
thanks again! Gina
Gina Ward R.N., VA-BC