We occasionally have a situation with very unstable ICU patients where bedsde
attempted PICC placement is short, subclavian or inominate. We understand these
are sub optimal placements and I have heard IV practitioners say that you either
get it svc or you pull it back to midline. The chance of causing a thrombus
with midline placement is greater than with subclavian placement...correct?
This situation does not occur very often and we remedy as soon as possible. If
we measured incorrectly we would exchange but if cath just won't progress any
further than subclavian wouldn't we be better off leaving it in the larger
vessel than pulling it back midline.
