One of our patients is having trouble with recurrent occlusions of her PICC. The staff we are dealing with are well educated with flushing of the PICC; we have xrayed her and the tip is in the mid SVC without kinks; she doesn't have any hypercoagulopathy. She is undergoing hyperbaric treatments for a wound. Is it possible that the hyperbaric treatments could be increasing her intrathoracic pressures, and hence pushing blood into the PICC, in much the same way a ventilated patient can? We are now Heparinizing her PICC.
Our team has dealt with this same issue. Not just an increase in intrathoracic pressure but an increase in whole body pressure, everything is being squeezed! Flushing immediately before and after treatment solved the issue for us.
Stephen Harris RN, CRNI, VA-BC
Chief Clinical Officer
Carolina Vascular Wellness