I am a PICC line nurse. My hospital is the first in the Austin TX area to use SecurAcath. We evaluated the device over a six week period and overwhelmingly chose to use it for our PICC line program. The device is simple to deploy and remove. Dressing changes are much easier with SecurAcath because the PICC line will not migrate in or out of the insertion site. In addition, you can lift the PICC line up to 90 degrees and clean around the the entiire site without any PICC line movement. I believe it allows for a more efficient and hygienic dressing change as well as virtually eliminating the risk of line migration and contamination. Current feedback from bedside nursing staff has been very positive and most all agree SecurAcath is a real blessing because the anxiety they sometimes felt during dressing changes is now gone. If you have any specific questions, I would be glad to answer them for you.
I am very glad we learned about securAcath because it gives us another option in sutureless securement for our central lines. It is the best choice for nearly all of our patients. We don’t have to worry about adhesive reactions or adhesive failures with our diaphoretic patients. Our nurses can change their routine central line dressings with much greater speed and without the risk of migration. So often a nurse would need an assistant to perform a dressing change to prevent migration issues when the statlock was replaced. SecurAcath has removed that worry. A nurse can perform thorough cleansing even quicker because there is no adhesive residue to scrub away. For our patients that need to have their PICC lines for many weeks, the securAcath is by far the best solution because it remains intact the entire life of the catheter. I have had a few occasions when I have switched a patient over from a statlock to a securAcath and all of them have preferred the change. All in all, this product has made central line dressing care a lot easier!
All this sounds great. To establish this as a part of the national standards of care we will need evidence of a higher level than professional experience. Sure wish someone publishes on this product soon. I am not aware of anything published about it yet. CDC guidelines only have one reference about sutureless securement in their references because that is the only method with 1 randomized controlled trial. Lynn
Our hospital recently chose to trial SecurAcath in the ICU, the emergency Department & the Operating Room for use on PICCs & Central lines.
Unanimously, the Anesthesiologists, ER Physicians and Critical Care Pulmonologists agreed that they needed to utilize SecurAcath in their practice because:
-Move away from sutures and possible needle sticks
-Superior catheter stabilization than any other product currently available
-Ease & speed of deployment and if required catheter repositioning
-One SecurAcath for the life of the catheter
-Easier/faster care & maintenance of lines post insertion
SecurAcath was approved for use with endorsement from our product selection process which included our CNO, CFO & Director of Materials Management.
Everything in your post looks great except for one thing. After any portion of any CVAD has come into contact with skin, even prepped skin, it can NEVER be advanced into the vein for any reason. You could reposition by retracting a CVAD (and PICC is a CVAD) but never inserting it. Skin can never be rendered sterile and inserting a portion that has been in contact with skin could easily cause infection. Lynn
Good point Lynn made about repositioning: When we have repositioned any central line or PICC, it is only to retract the catheter a specified length based on the Chest Xray report and recommendation of the radiologists (if the tip is too deep). In a matter of seconds you can unsnap the top half of your securAcath, retract your catheter however much you need and then snap it back together for a nice, stable placement: no fuss, no messy sticky statlock to remove and reposition. (of course you would replace your TSM & Biopatch at that point) Leah
Patrick,
Sounds like you are having great results! I would bet this is the first time in United States history that ED docs, critical care docs and anesthesiologists have unanimously agreed on anything! In the spirit of disclosure it would be helpful to share what hospital this is and if you have any relationship with the manufacturer. I would ask the same of lcremont, it just seemed odd that she answered a question that Lynn had brought up from your post. Ethically there is nothing wrong with manufacturer reps touting product benefits, but it is troubling when they do so while posing as independent clinicians. If I am wrong about my suspicions please forgive me in advance. If I am right please be more forthright as securcath seems like a fine product. Thanks for your contribution to the discussion and I have nothing to disclose with catheter securement.
We are looking at this device. The cath is removed prior to removal of the device. Very easy. The Rep is going to come with a team to train nurses. They just sent me a model. I think the fear factor of dislodgement alone may be worth it. I can't wait to trial it. For those that have please post details, problems, etc.
The removal of the picc is fairly simple and I would say it takes about 3-6 deployments and removals to become a proficient user of the SecurAcath device.
My explanation may not be so clear, so I will place a link to their website; however, the SecurAcath device has two working pieces--a base which has the nitenol tips extending from it, and a top which snaps onto the base. The picc line is secured between these two pieces. As for removal and insertion of the SecurAcath device, the base folds in half and the nitenol tips come together to make a point for the insertion and removal, much like a Hueber needle is placed into or out of a portacath site.
As for medical personell not familiar with the device, at our facility inTexas, Brian Reina, the SecurAcath rep, did an outstanding job of inservicing our hospital's nurse educators and our nursing staff for dressing changes and the removal of the SecurAcath. He also coordinated with our hospital's case managers and set up training sessions for the most used nursing homes and oncologists offices for training those staff as well. I'm not sure where you practice or if the SecurAcath rep in your area is willing to provide this kind of customer service, but that was what Brian was willing to do for us.
We are in the early stages of using SecurAcath, but I cannot emphasize how well it has been received. I will post any challenges we may encounter but so far it has worked very well.
In response to Mr. Harris~ I apologize for stirring up suspicions! Yes, Patrick and I work at the same facility: I am the radiology nurse (involved in PICC placements) and Patrick is the Clinical Educator for the hospital. Patrick piloted the SecurAcath trial in ED, OR and ICU on the CVC's while I trialed them specifically focused to the PICC's. NO affiliation with Interrad Medical! If I sound enthusiastic, it is because I am! I am so glad to be relieved of the aggravation of migrated PICC's or PICC's that just "fell out". When one simple device makes my outcomes more successful, I get excited. The College Station Medical Center is the first hospital in Texas to use SecurAcath, so I'm pretty proud of our discovery.
To answer Robbin's question: when a patient is discharged to a local nursing home, home health or LTAC, a copy of my card is sent along with removal instructions. Little by little, the local nursing facilities are becoming familiar with it. Sometimes the patients return to my department as an outpatient when it's time to remove their PICC. Once I re-faxed the removal instructions to a home health nurse then talked her through it on the telephone while she did it. (it's not that hard to do). Word is starting to spread. I guess you can tell...I really like the securAcath. :)
Leah Crement RN/Diagnostic Imaging, Special Procedures
My name is Amy Henry, RN, VA-BC and I work in Columbus, GA as a PICC nurse. My team has been using Secur-A-Cath for a little over 6 months and WE LOVE IT!! We were experiencing at least 6 "accidental dislodgements" per month on our PICC's. Since we have switched to Secur-A-Cath, we have only had ONE! This is absoluetly incredible!
This product has made our lives and the lives of our patients so easy. Not to mention, the lives of the bedside nurses changing the dressings, which is where most of the dislodgements occured. Our entire nursing staff has nothing but praise for Secur-A-Cath because it allows them to clean the PICC site 360 degrees without being anxious about dislodging the PICC.
For us, the PICC team, placement couldn't be easier and removal is just as slick as placement. We have encountered a couple that were a little difficult to remove but if you just cut down the middle of the device (check out the video on Interrad's website) it comes right out. Our OR has started using Secur-A-Cath on central lines and the rest of the MD's are soon to follow.
Our patients, especially repeat customers, have raved about this device. They say they don't even know its there. It doesn't hurt or pull as some may think it might. Even those little older folks with paper thin skin. It gives them peace of mind, knowing that their PICC is secure.
I do want to mention that when we were trialing this, other than $ (which we figured a way around), the main issue was what could happen if the PICC was pulled out with the Secur-A-Cath in place. Well, it happended! A PICC was removed with the Secur-A-Cath attached and you would have never even known it. The PICC site looked just like it would if only the PICC was there. LOVE IT!!
Lastly, I could not ask for a better team of professionals than the folks at Interrad. Their sales force - Tremendous! Their nursing support team - Extraordinary! I am but a phone call away from immediate assistance. Even the R&D department has been on the phone with me. I am proud to say that I am associated with them.
Please, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me at [email protected]
I love to brag about our sucess with Secur-A-Cath!!
Thank you for pointing out my omission. I wasn't specific regarding repositioning and was refering to pulling the line back only.
Mr. Harris,
Thank you for pointing out that yes we must all be vigilant about the source for information posted online.
Let me assure you that I have no connection with SecurAcath except for the fact that our facility trialed the device and decided to go live with it.
One of our Critical Care Intensivists saw the device at SCCM & requested that we investigate the product. Our facility made sure that none of our physicians or hospital staff had any financial ties with SecurAcath prior to the trial or go live.
Speaking to "Unanimous", every physician I spoke to all commented something similar to the feeling that they had wished they had thought of the idea.
I played an active role in our trail & go live due to my positon as Critical Care Educator. I am not a spokesman for SecurAcath nor for my facility, but merely expressed my observations & thoughts. I apologize if I have offended by not disclosing the name of my hospital.
Hi Frank,
I am a PICC line nurse. My hospital is the first in the Austin TX area to use SecurAcath. We evaluated the device over a six week period and overwhelmingly chose to use it for our PICC line program. The device is simple to deploy and remove. Dressing changes are much easier with SecurAcath because the PICC line will not migrate in or out of the insertion site. In addition, you can lift the PICC line up to 90 degrees and clean around the the entiire site without any PICC line movement. I believe it allows for a more efficient and hygienic dressing change as well as virtually eliminating the risk of line migration and contamination. Current feedback from bedside nursing staff has been very positive and most all agree SecurAcath is a real blessing because the anxiety they sometimes felt during dressing changes is now gone. If you have any specific questions, I would be glad to answer them for you.
Sincerely,
Joe S RN.
I am very glad we learned about securAcath because it gives us another option in sutureless securement for our central lines. It is the best choice for nearly all of our patients. We don’t have to worry about adhesive reactions or adhesive failures with our diaphoretic patients. Our nurses can change their routine central line dressings with much greater speed and without the risk of migration. So often a nurse would need an assistant to perform a dressing change to prevent migration issues when the statlock was replaced. SecurAcath has removed that worry. A nurse can perform thorough cleansing even quicker because there is no adhesive residue to scrub away. For our patients that need to have their PICC lines for many weeks, the securAcath is by far the best solution because it remains intact the entire life of the catheter. I have had a few occasions when I have switched a patient over from a statlock to a securAcath and all of them have preferred the change. All in all, this product has made central line dressing care a lot easier!
Leah Crement RN
All this sounds great. To establish this as a part of the national standards of care we will need evidence of a higher level than professional experience. Sure wish someone publishes on this product soon. I am not aware of anything published about it yet. CDC guidelines only have one reference about sutureless securement in their references because that is the only method with 1 randomized controlled trial. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Our hospital recently chose to trial SecurAcath in the ICU, the emergency Department & the Operating Room for use on PICCs & Central lines.
Unanimously, the Anesthesiologists, ER Physicians and Critical Care Pulmonologists agreed that they needed to utilize SecurAcath in their practice because:
-Move away from sutures and possible needle sticks
-Superior catheter stabilization than any other product currently available
-Ease & speed of deployment and if required catheter repositioning
-One SecurAcath for the life of the catheter
-Easier/faster care & maintenance of lines post insertion
SecurAcath was approved for use with endorsement from our product selection process which included our CNO, CFO & Director of Materials Management.
Patrick
Everything in your post looks great except for one thing. After any portion of any CVAD has come into contact with skin, even prepped skin, it can NEVER be advanced into the vein for any reason. You could reposition by retracting a CVAD (and PICC is a CVAD) but never inserting it. Skin can never be rendered sterile and inserting a portion that has been in contact with skin could easily cause infection. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Good point Lynn made about repositioning: When we have repositioned any central line or PICC, it is only to retract the catheter a specified length based on the Chest Xray report and recommendation of the radiologists (if the tip is too deep). In a matter of seconds you can unsnap the top half of your securAcath, retract your catheter however much you need and then snap it back together for a nice, stable placement: no fuss, no messy sticky statlock to remove and reposition. (of course you would replace your TSM & Biopatch at that point) Leah
Patrick,
Sounds like you are having great results! I would bet this is the first time in United States history that ED docs, critical care docs and anesthesiologists have unanimously agreed on anything! In the spirit of disclosure it would be helpful to share what hospital this is and if you have any relationship with the manufacturer. I would ask the same of lcremont, it just seemed odd that she answered a question that Lynn had brought up from your post. Ethically there is nothing wrong with manufacturer reps touting product benefits, but it is troubling when they do so while posing as independent clinicians. If I am wrong about my suspicions please forgive me in advance. If I am right please be more forthright as securcath seems like a fine product. Thanks for your contribution to the discussion and I have nothing to disclose with catheter securement.
Stephen Harris RN, CRNI, VA-BC
Chief Clinical Officer
Carolina Vascular Wellness
How is the catheter removed with this device in place?
When patients leave the supervision of the facility that placed the catheter how will others not familar with the process
know how to disengage and safely remove the catheter?
Robbin George RN VA-BC
We are looking at this device. The cath is removed prior to removal of the device. Very easy. The Rep is going to come with a team to train nurses. They just sent me a model. I think the fear factor of dislodgement alone may be worth it. I can't wait to trial it. For those that have please post details, problems, etc.
Robbin,
The removal of the picc is fairly simple and I would say it takes about 3-6 deployments and removals to become a proficient user of the SecurAcath device.
My explanation may not be so clear, so I will place a link to their website; however, the SecurAcath device has two working pieces--a base which has the nitenol tips extending from it, and a top which snaps onto the base. The picc line is secured between these two pieces. As for removal and insertion of the SecurAcath device, the base folds in half and the nitenol tips come together to make a point for the insertion and removal, much like a Hueber needle is placed into or out of a portacath site.
As for medical personell not familiar with the device, at our facility inTexas, Brian Reina, the SecurAcath rep, did an outstanding job of inservicing our hospital's nurse educators and our nursing staff for dressing changes and the removal of the SecurAcath. He also coordinated with our hospital's case managers and set up training sessions for the most used nursing homes and oncologists offices for training those staff as well. I'm not sure where you practice or if the SecurAcath rep in your area is willing to provide this kind of customer service, but that was what Brian was willing to do for us.
We are in the early stages of using SecurAcath, but I cannot emphasize how well it has been received. I will post any challenges we may encounter but so far it has worked very well.
The link to the SecurAcath website is: http://www.securacath.com/
Sincerely,
Joe D. Sanchez, BA, RN. Cardiac Cath Lab
St. David's Round Rock Medical Center
2400 Round Rock Ave
Round Rock, TX, 78681
[email protected]
512-341-5623
In response to Mr. Harris~ I apologize for stirring up suspicions! Yes, Patrick and I work at the same facility: I am the radiology nurse (involved in PICC placements) and Patrick is the Clinical Educator for the hospital. Patrick piloted the SecurAcath trial in ED, OR and ICU on the CVC's while I trialed them specifically focused to the PICC's. NO affiliation with Interrad Medical! If I sound enthusiastic, it is because I am! I am so glad to be relieved of the aggravation of migrated PICC's or PICC's that just "fell out". When one simple device makes my outcomes more successful, I get excited. The College Station Medical Center is the first hospital in Texas to use SecurAcath, so I'm pretty proud of our discovery.
To answer Robbin's question: when a patient is discharged to a local nursing home, home health or LTAC, a copy of my card is sent along with removal instructions. Little by little, the local nursing facilities are becoming familiar with it. Sometimes the patients return to my department as an outpatient when it's time to remove their PICC. Once I re-faxed the removal instructions to a home health nurse then talked her through it on the telephone while she did it. (it's not that hard to do). Word is starting to spread. I guess you can tell...I really like the securAcath. :)
Leah Crement RN/Diagnostic Imaging, Special Procedures
College Station Medical Center
College Station, TX
[email protected]
Thank you and it is great to see such enthusiasm!! Best of luck to you and your endeavors!!
Stephen Harris RN, CRNI, VA-BC
Chief Clinical Officer
Carolina Vascular Wellness
I can see that you have to add length to the cath, what do you commonly add?
thanks
David
Hi David,
We add at least two centimeters to our length...Amy
Good Morning Everyone,
My name is Amy Henry, RN, VA-BC and I work in Columbus, GA as a PICC nurse. My team has been using Secur-A-Cath for a little over 6 months and WE LOVE IT!! We were experiencing at least 6 "accidental dislodgements" per month on our PICC's. Since we have switched to Secur-A-Cath, we have only had ONE! This is absoluetly incredible!
This product has made our lives and the lives of our patients so easy. Not to mention, the lives of the bedside nurses changing the dressings, which is where most of the dislodgements occured. Our entire nursing staff has nothing but praise for Secur-A-Cath because it allows them to clean the PICC site 360 degrees without being anxious about dislodging the PICC.
For us, the PICC team, placement couldn't be easier and removal is just as slick as placement. We have encountered a couple that were a little difficult to remove but if you just cut down the middle of the device (check out the video on Interrad's website) it comes right out. Our OR has started using Secur-A-Cath on central lines and the rest of the MD's are soon to follow.
Our patients, especially repeat customers, have raved about this device. They say they don't even know its there. It doesn't hurt or pull as some may think it might. Even those little older folks with paper thin skin. It gives them peace of mind, knowing that their PICC is secure.
I do want to mention that when we were trialing this, other than $ (which we figured a way around), the main issue was what could happen if the PICC was pulled out with the Secur-A-Cath in place. Well, it happended! A PICC was removed with the Secur-A-Cath attached and you would have never even known it. The PICC site looked just like it would if only the PICC was there. LOVE IT!!
Lastly, I could not ask for a better team of professionals than the folks at Interrad. Their sales force - Tremendous! Their nursing support team - Extraordinary! I am but a phone call away from immediate assistance. Even the R&D department has been on the phone with me. I am proud to say that I am associated with them.
Please, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me at [email protected]
I love to brag about our sucess with Secur-A-Cath!!
Mrs. Hadaway,
Thank you for pointing out my omission. I wasn't specific regarding repositioning and was refering to pulling the line back only.
Mr. Harris,
Thank you for pointing out that yes we must all be vigilant about the source for information posted online.
Let me assure you that I have no connection with SecurAcath except for the fact that our facility trialed the device and decided to go live with it.
One of our Critical Care Intensivists saw the device at SCCM & requested that we investigate the product. Our facility made sure that none of our physicians or hospital staff had any financial ties with SecurAcath prior to the trial or go live.
Speaking to "Unanimous", every physician I spoke to all commented something similar to the feeling that they had wished they had thought of the idea.
I played an active role in our trail & go live due to my positon as Critical Care Educator. I am not a spokesman for SecurAcath nor for my facility, but merely expressed my observations & thoughts. I apologize if I have offended by not disclosing the name of my hospital.
Thanks
Patrick
Anyone have any experience with this product in peds?