Re: reverse tapering

[Cheryl Kelley]

All veins should be assessed in depth when placing large lumen lines, such as the 6F triple or the tapered lines.  We measure the vessel and then decide if it is large enough to accommodate the catheter.  There are some patient's who simply do not qualify for a triple simply because the vein is not large enough.  Of those who qualify, the measurement that we take is to see if the vein can accommodate the 6F catheter.  I guess we should also be looking at how large the vein is at the insertion site, where the catheter is tapered to an 8 or 9F.  Isn't the whole concept of decreasing thrombus allowing blood to continue to flow inside the vessel?   Cheryl Kelley RN PICC Nurse and Infusion Consultant                     and PICC Nurse at West Virginia University Hospitals 304-823-3196    or     304-669-3061