Interventional Radiology PICC Lines

Not where I work. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen elsewhere I guess.........we have a bunch of interventional guys... so maybe its not a need.

Here if the patient goes to Interventional Radiology for PICC placement the Radiologist does it.

We have a PA that does all the Piccs. The Interventional radiologists will do them if she's not around. They use US guidance and flouroscopy.

At our facility the PICC-certified nurses are supposed to try first, then make a note in the chart if they are unable to place one. Floor or PICC RN then alerts the Interventional Radiologist (or one of the techs or Rad. RNs) of the need for a fluoro-guided placement.
Have heard of Vascular Access Teams @ other hospitals whose RNs place PICCs using Site-Rite and/or fluoro . . . don't have direct knowledge of this . . . try the ARNA (American Radiological Nurses Ass'n).org, or one of the Intravenous Nursing organizations as well as individual states for scope of practice. -- D

I am a PICC nurse in IR and use ultrasound and fluoro for most of them. If I cant thread it etc I schedule it with an IR doc, but the techs usually end up doing them for "macho" What can I say....

This is how our facility does it, too. Howver, our unit is supposed to get our own mini US (promised for at least two years now) so we will have to send fewer to IR. I'll believe it when it happens...

Our Rads use the Site-Rite -- little US machine for peripheral viewing. Quick look, jab, thread, secure -- PICC is in.