We are a new Vascular Access Team. Trying to develope written standards for our practice. How long should we wait before placing a PICC line when a fresh Pacer Maker is in place? Are there published guidelines that will back up the wait period?
Debra Rivie RN
LBMMC
Long Beach, CA
My company has an online course on Pacemakers and CVADs. There are very few published studies on outcomes with both devices and no published standards that have answsered your question. Most cardiologists will say that you need about a 6 month period after pacemaker insertion before they are comflortable inserting any type of CVAD. 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