Clinical nursing
PICC and central line management
A PICC line is what lets a course of intravenous treatment finish at home rather than on a ward. It needs careful, sterile, consistent handling.
What this involves
- Sterile dressing changes on schedule
- Line flushing and patency checks
- Needle-free connector changes
- Exit site assessment for infection or displacement
- Measurement of external catheter length to detect migration
- Liaison with the treating team and hospital outreach services
When people ask us for this
- A course of intravenous antibiotics is continuing at home
- Long-term intravenous access is in place
- The dressing is due and a clinic visit is not practical
- There is redness, swelling or discomfort at the exit site
Worth knowing
A PICC line with new redness, swelling, oozing, pain or fever needs same-day attention. Do not wait for the next scheduled dressing change.
How we approach it
PICC lines are unforgiving of shortcuts. Every dressing change is done sterile, on schedule, with the external length measured and recorded so migration is picked up early rather than discovered when the line stops working.
We coordinate closely with whichever team is directing the therapy, because the line is their responsibility as much as ours. If something looks wrong at the exit site, they hear about it the same day.
This is a service where consistency matters more than convenience. We would rather send the same two nurses on a fixed schedule than fit it around whoever happens to be nearby.
How this is usually funded
The nursing is the same whichever pathway pays for it.
- DVA community nursing, for eligible veterans, war widows and widowers, with a GP referral
- Government-funded aged care support at home
- Private arrangements, with transparent hourly rates and no waiting list
- Short-term packages after a hospital discharge
Other nursing services
Ready to arrange care for someone you love?
Call for a friendly chat, or send a referral and we will be in touch within one business day.
