The question came to me, I am asking for more input. Would coiling a picc externally rather than trimming to length increase infection risk?
I don't do babies, but it seems coiling would be a safety hazard and there would be increased risk for undetected pistoning/dislodgement with a coiled picc vs a trimmed to fit picc.
The rationale for not trimming - "If the baby pulls the line it has slack and wont disturb the insertion site."
thoughts?
The coiled excessive length on the outside adds to the problem with dressing integrity also. The best method for trimming is a guillotine device, scissors is the worse device to use. A patient specific catheter length is the best option but least likely to happen. I would not recommend an external coil of this catheter for the reasons you cited and the dressing integrity and infection risk. We have been struggling with this question since PICCs first began in the 1970's!! 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
Thanks for the confirmation.