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Clinical need
Why securing the whole line matters.
PICCs fail more often than most people expect, and many of those failures start with the part of the line outside the body.
01 · What is a PICC?
A line that lives with the patient for weeks.
A PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter, said "pick") is a thin, flexible tube placed in an upper-arm vein and threaded toward the heart. It delivers chemotherapy, IV antibiotics, nutrition and other infusions over weeks or months, often at home. Part of the line always stays outside the body:
Insertion site
Under the clinician's transparent dressing
Juncture hub
Where the catheter meets the extension legs
Extension legs
One per lumen
Clamps
On each leg
End connectors
Used for flushes and infusions
02 · How often lines fail
Routine problems, even with today's securement.
These rates are measured with standard securement and a transparent dressing already in place.
of PICCs dislodge in recent studies (2.3–8%), more often in lines with more lumens.
accidental withdrawal in one prospective cohort of 192 PICCs.
of PICCs had a complication of some kind in the same cohort.
of PICCs occlude in some studies (up to); kinking is one recognized cause.
higher risk of catheter-related thrombosis after spontaneous PICC dislodgement, in a prospective cohort of 510 PICCs in oncology patients.
03 · The patient's view
Most patients notice a problem.
In a study of patients after hospital discharge, problems with the line were common, and a quarter said it limited what they could do.
reported at least one problem with their line after discharge.
said the line restricted their daily activities.
Each dot is one patient in 100.
04 · Consequences
What a dislodged line can lead to.
The line migrates or comes out
A tug on the external tubing pulls at the insertion site.
Lifted, soaked or snagged dressings cause a second, more frequent problem: unscheduled dressing changes between the routine weekly visits.
05 · Time at risk
Lines stay in for weeks.
Every week of dwell is another week of daily life with an exposed line, and another routine dressing change.
Median PICC dwell time
Days. Grid lines mark each week. Whisker shows the interquartile range where reported.
06 · Clinical guidance
What the standards say.
The CP-100 is designed with current INS and CDC guidance in mind.
Securement plus dressing
Use a securement method in addition to the primary dressing. Inadequate securement can cause dislodgement and premature removal (Level I).
Manage the tubing
Use a securement product or a taped tension loop of tubing to reduce the risk of accidental dislodgement.
Routine dressing changes
Replace transparent dressings on central lines at least every 7 days, or sooner if damp, loosened or soiled.
07 · Evidence
Evidence before claims.
A single-arm pilot study is proposed at a leading medical center, to run under ethics committee approval. It is designed to evaluate how the device performs in everyday use. The proposal is under discussion and has not yet been approved.
Safety
Skin reactions and any device-related adverse events.
Wear
How well the device stays in place between dressing changes.
Application
How long it takes a nurse to apply.
Dressing changes
Unplanned changes between routine visits.
Line position
Any movement of the catheter.
Patient experience
Comfort, site visibility and quality of life.
Final endpoints will be set in the approved study protocol. Until clinical data is available, Clearport describes what the device is designed to do, not outcomes.
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