PICCs: how Doppler ultrasound can extend their use

Peripherally inserted central catheters were relatively unknown in the UK five years ago. Now, however, they are used in more than 100 centres around the country. PICCs have played a key role in improving vascular access for a wide range of patients and the growth in their use has been nurse led. This article explains how nurses can help to extend the use of PICCs to a group of patients who have traditionally been excluded, those with apparently inaccessible antecubital fossa.