It is impossible to tell whether the PICC "caused" the DVT, but index of suspicion is high with any patient who has an indwelling line. Yes, patients with PICC lines have an increased incidence of both infection and clots, these are the most common risks of the procedure. For this reason it is always prudent to weigh risk vs benefit before placing any line and make certain the line is appropriate for the clinical situation.Sounds like it was the right line for this patient...
It is possible that with a bed bound pt with arms elevated might not develop sx of DVT until returning home and getting up and about, and also that the clot continued to accumulate and get bigger after d/c, thereby causing sx post d/c sx that were not there prior to d/c.
I would like to respond to your query as to whether or not the cath flo was involved in the bruising.
Cath flo is used for declotting lines. It is given in doses that
are approximately 1/50th of the therapeutic dose for thrombolysis in the setting of AMI. There simply is not enough drug to affect clotting or bleeding times and it has been demonstrated to be safe to give to all populations--including infants. There are NO contraindications for it's use, except for hypersensitivity. There seems to be a lot of misinformation out there about this. Hope this clears some of that up.
Betsy King R.N. CRNI
IV Support Services
P.O.Box 3905
Truckee, California 96160-3905
530-587-7770
