Re: DVT's

[PICCNurse]

Points to ponder.....   I just did a quick study on the last 8 DVT we had the past three months. There were a few common threads.  1.  5 out 8 of the vessels were from the left. Cephalic or brachial  2.  Most were non SVC placements 5/8 with 4/8 midlines.  3.  6/8 was females over the age of 75.  4.  The diagnosis was either pulmonary or small bowel.   5.  The PICC were all the same brand there was no control not a new catheter.  6.  Different staff members placed the lines  7.  7/8 had difficulty with tip placement.  8.  6/8 had preexisting DVT prior to the insertion.  *the quick conclusion I come to is that If you are having trouble with the PICC insertion and have to pull it back to a midline placement there maybe a Thrombus already present. Maybe on these cases we may need to get a Doppler post insertion to verify our suspicions before it gets worse. What does the rest of the group think? Just some points to ponder!! Linda