The peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) provides reliable long-term venous access for both inpatients and outpatients, facilitating the administration of medications, parenteral nutrition, and fluids, as well as blood sampling. Insertion can be performed with or without fluoroscopic guidance, depending on clinical circumstances and available resources.
Fluoroscopy offers real-time X-ray imaging, allowing clinicians to accurately guide the catheter into the correct vessel, confirm the absence of kinks or coils, and ensure proper tip positioning. This approach is particularly beneficial for patients with small or tortuous veins, enhancing placement precision and reducing the risk of malposition. While increasingly adopted for its accuracy and for eliminating the need for post-procedural chest X-rays, fluoroscopic guidance is not universally feasible. Critically ill patients may be unable to travel to radiology suites, necessitating bedside ultrasound-guided insertion instead. Moreover, to avoid fetal radiation exposure, fluoroscopy is generally avoided during pregnancy.
Effective PICC use requires a collaborative, multidisciplinary strategy. Physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists each play vital roles—from patient selection and procedure performance to daily care, medication safety, and complication monitoring. Clear communication, shared responsibility, and continuous team education are essential for maintaining line safety, preventing infections, and managing complications promptly when they arise.
In summary, fluoroscopically guided PICC placement is a valuable technique that improves procedural accuracy, but its success and safety depend on tailored patient selection and sustained interprofessional teamwork.
Post time: Dec-04-2025