Sending drug abusers home with picc lines?

[JOLLIEHOLLY]

Hello to all. Just curious to what people think about the subject I am about to present. Just to start off, arrest records are open to the public, you are not breaking any law looking up past arrests. So lets say you have a pt that needs long term abx tx. Do you think an MSW should be able to look up the patient's name and see if there have been any prior offenses of drug abuse. And if so, opt not to send pt home with a picc line. I myself have heard pt's boast about their meth labs and about previous arrests/jail time, and see them go home with picc's. Of course it happens all the time, however, if research was done, maybe we could prevent this outright abuse. Health care workers pry into almost all aspects of a pt's life to hygiene to religion, so why not multiple drug offenses.

[danamobile]

sounds like we do hold our patients longer, for sure! something to ponder: if we arent being accountable for their illness and pushing them out the door, are we ok with them not being accountable for their health? i dont think longer stays for iv therapy is always necessary, but i know a lot of p eople dont care either. im not sure what i think on that one. i'll just follow policy lol :) thanks for your response :) but i definately think picc lines shouldnt be out for drug users.. and if they start, they should start a 'take home kit' with clean needles with it.

[wizap]

We had a Heroin addict who became septic with MRSA from injecting herself. She went home with a PICC and came in as an outpatient for her Vanco. After each dose we had to tape each port with our initials, date and time, then wrap the site with dressings. I never saw evidence of tampering. I truly believe she deserved the best care, just like any other patient. If we saw any evidence of tampering, we were to go to her physician with that information. I am glad she finished her course of antibiotics, had the line pulled, and is doing well.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Besides picc lines, I love the ones who inject through their mediport access.

[danamobile]

Besides picc lines, I love the ones who inject through their mediport access.

..another good reason to withdrawl some blood before flushing a line... dont want to give a bolus of something you didnt give!

[reesern63, RN]

if they need long term iv abx, then it would be unethical to deny them of that.

true drug addicts are going to get their fix whether they have iv access or not.

and so, no, i have no problems with them being dc'd w/a picc.

leslie

I didn't think I was was in the retribution profession. Maybe a different VAD would be in order, like a medi-port. That won't stop the hardcore addicts, but it might stop someone who would abuse the PICC.

In any case, if they have no veins and need a VAD, then they should get it. Would it be better to leave the infection untreated?

[medsirgrn]

Great topic I might add.I can understand your concern that a drug addict going home with a picc makes it easier for them to abuse their drugs. With that being said the patient still need venous access for his antibiotic.To prevent him from obtaining a picc line is not going to stop him from doing drugs but may cause the infection to get worse and create more complications.Drug addicts will find a way to get their drugs, picc lines or not, but we have to make sure we do our part by providing the care that is needed.