Gwen, We us use PICCs for chemo but we alway use a pump. We are a hospital based outpatient setting and try to comply with JCAHO standards of no free flowing IV's. I have heard from other nurses that they have problems free flowing fluids via a PICC. We flush all our PICC's with saline only and have have only rare incidents of occlusions which when addressed early clear with installation of Cath Flo Activase. Prior to using Bard Groshong PICC we used the BD per q cath and never had problems with these PICC clotting off either. Margaret Margaret M Nicastro, CRNI, OCN Coorordinator IV Therapy/Oncology Gettysburg Hospital 147 Gettys Street Gettysburg, PA 17325 Phone: 717-337-4312 option 2 Fax: 717-337-4485 Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. This information is intended for the use of the named recipient(s). The authorized recipient of this information is prohibited from disclosing this information to any party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you receive this e-mail message in error, please notify the sender immediately to arrange disposition of the information.
________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Gwen Irwin Sent: Tue 5/9/2006 8:33 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Chemo given via PICCs I have recently been asked about giving chemo through a "free-flowing" IV related to PICCs. We have one of the hospitals with an oncology floor that believe, since we have changed to saline only flushing, they can't give chemo via free-flowing IV fluids via a PICC. They report that this is the case after the PICC has been in for a few weeks. They also report more occlusions that occur with PICCs. I am checking the actual number (of occlusions) for comparison before and after saline only flushing. I have offered inservices related to proper flushing (that has been effective on other floors that had a rapid decline in their occlusions, after inservicing). Has this chemo issue that they report been anyone else's experience? I am debating how to answer their question and their request for heparin to be added to flushing policy for their population of patients. Thanks for any help. Gwen Irwin Austin, Texas CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. This information is intended for the use of the named recipient(s). The authorized recipient of this information is prohibited from disclosing this information to any party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of this email is strictly prohibited. If you receive this e-mail message in error, please notify the sender immediately to arrange disposition of the information.
