With a central venous catheter, you basically have a direct line from the outside world right to your heart. That’s great for getting treatment, but it means you have to manage it very carefully.

What is a PICC line? It is a long plastic tube that goes into a vein in your arm. It ends in a large vein close to your heart. At the end of the length of line that you can see, there are connection ...

One decision you may need to make before beginning chemotherapy is what type of central venous catheter (CVC) you want your oncologist to insert for your treatment. A CVC, sometimes called a central ...

A peripherally-inserted central catheter (PICC) line, is a long, soft, flexible tube inserted into a vein in the upper arm. Doctors use it to administer intravenous (IV) drugs, for instance, in ...

It sounds like you have not had training in PICC removal. If not, it's not appropriate for you to be removing PICCs. The individual who has ordered the line removal may have practiced in a facility ...

Breast cancer treatments such as chemotherapy usually require frequent blood tests and usually need to be given through your vein, or through IVs. It can become painful to be repeatedly poked with ...

Often when you need medicine, you just pop a pill in your mouth, down some water, and go about your day. But at other times your doctor may need to give you drugs or fluids that go right into one of ...

To submit a legal/professional nursing question for future consideration, write to the editor at [email protected] (Include "Ask the Expert" in subject line.) We (the RNs) are given orders to remove ...