Service development of a nurse-led community-based PICC insertion service

Area of Science:

• Vascular Access
• Medical Technology
• Outpatient Healthcare Services

Background:

• Intravenous therapy necessitates reliable venous access, often challenging for patients needing long-term treatment.
• Traditional central line placement requires secondary care and often radiological confirmation.
• Outpatient antibiotic therapy (OPAT) services face challenges in managing patients with poor peripheral access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of an out-of-hospital nurse-led PICC insertion service.
• To evaluate the impact of this service on treatment delays and secondary care interventions.
• To highlight the use of advanced tip confirmation technology in PICC placement.

Main Methods:

• Development of a nurse-led peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) insertion service.
• Utilized ultrasound for vein selection and the Sherlock 3CG® Tip Confirmation System for electrocardiograph (ECG)-guided tip placement.
• Service operated outside of traditional secondary care settings.

Main Results:

• Eliminated the need for radiological or fluoroscopic confirmation of PICC tip placement.
• Reduced treatment delays for patients requiring long-term intravenous treatment.
• Decreased the reliance on secondary care for central line insertion.

Conclusions:

• An out-of-hospital, nurse-led PICC service utilizing advanced tip confirmation technology is feasible and effective.
• This model improves patient care by reducing delays and secondary care interventions.
• Technological advancements enable safe and reliable PICC insertion in non-traditional settings.