A friend of mine has an 18 year old patient being treated with 4-6 weeks of antibiotic therapy for Lyme Disease. The young woman has a recently placed Hickman and wants to resume playing tennis. Has anyone had any experience with this? Could such rigorous use of the upper extremities cause catheter malposition? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Lee/CT
What vein was used for insertion - subclavian or IJ? If medial subclavian, my concern would be pinch-off syndrome with excessive arm use. There are some old case reports of activities such as backpacking and golf leading to pinch-off in the days before we really understood it.
Changes in intrathoracic pressure leads to catheter tip migration. So it could be conceivable that this would occur during extreme activity.
How long has it been in place? Has the cuff had time to heal? If this is only for 4-6 weeks of therapy, it may be wise to postpone this level of physical activity, but I think this would depend upon the patient's physician, and her physical and emotional situation, etc. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861