S
Shoshanna
Guest
Hi Guys,
I was just at the ER because the visiting nurse couldn't draw blood from my line, nor could she successfully pull it. I had a wonderful IV nurse who was able to do both with no problem.
She told me that each time labs are drawn from the PICC that the end pieces need to be changed. I don't know what these end pieces are called, but they're at the end of your extension where you infuse the meds, saline etc. I guess they can get clogged and so the visiting nurse will think she can't get any blood from the PICC, but by changing these regularly she can. I wish I had known this last week when they had to stick me. I would've thought the visiting nurses would be more educated/informed when it comes to this stuff. Hoping others have worked with more sophisticated nurses, but ours here in Boston apparently think they know more than they do (I work with New England Home Therapies). They also assumed I had an infection in my line because there was a little yellow coming from the site, but the IV nurse at the hospital thinks it was just from manipulation and that there is no infection. I'm learning that as much as these visiting nurses know, they don't know.
Just an FYI
I was just at the ER because the visiting nurse couldn't draw blood from my line, nor could she successfully pull it. I had a wonderful IV nurse who was able to do both with no problem.
She told me that each time labs are drawn from the PICC that the end pieces need to be changed. I don't know what these end pieces are called, but they're at the end of your extension where you infuse the meds, saline etc. I guess they can get clogged and so the visiting nurse will think she can't get any blood from the PICC, but by changing these regularly she can. I wish I had known this last week when they had to stick me. I would've thought the visiting nurses would be more educated/informed when it comes to this stuff. Hoping others have worked with more sophisticated nurses, but ours here in Boston apparently think they know more than they do (I work with New England Home Therapies). They also assumed I had an infection in my line because there was a little yellow coming from the site, but the IV nurse at the hospital thinks it was just from manipulation and that there is no infection. I'm learning that as much as these visiting nurses know, they don't know.
Just an FYI