Advanced Geriatric family member needs a PICC line

[MsDelta]

worried - geriatric family member needs a picc line

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hi community!

i have a 94 y/o family member who is dehydrated, has a new rt. leg clot and on heparin drip. she is hospitalized, not on chemo, but is a poor eater. my concerns about a picc line are:

- infection (there's a lot of mersa in hospitals)

- non-nurses/non-mds inserting them

- for short term use to hydrate and possibly for tpn use

am i being overly concerned and letting my feelings get in the way of objective health care? a nurse friend of mine said that i need to "step back and let the hospital personnel do their jobs!" what about her advanced age? her vessels are not as able to "bounce back" as a younger client, if she gets an infection, and her systems are more at risk thatn a younger client. what i your experience with the use of picc lines in the super-geri client? thanks for your help in the matter.

super worried!

msdelta