Forum topic

3 posts / 0 new
Last post
Kelly Smith
arm circumference

My facility is looking at our practice for the maintenance of picc lines, including the measurement of arm circumference.  Currently we measure arm circumference 10 cm's above the antecubital space, and we measure at insertion, and with each dressing change.  We used to mark the measurement line with a marker, but have stopped doing this and feel our hospital staff should be able to measure 10 cm's up without difficulty.  What are you all doing in regard to this?

lynncrni
According to the INS SOP,
According to the INS SOP, take the baseline measurement when it is inserted, forget the routine measurements, and repeat if there is signs and symptoms of a problem. Routine measurement has not been show to produce any benefit, and takes valuable nursing time. 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

Nadine Nakazawa
Nadine Nakazawa's picture
There are no clinical
There are no clinical studies that I am aware of that correlate arm circumference measurements with outcomes.   Venous thromboses become symptomatic when veins are 90% occluded.   We stopped doing measurements about 10 years ago when Gail Sanvisvero (former President of AVA, thenNAVAN) pointed that out to me.   
Nadine Nakazawa

Nadine Nakazawa, RN, BS, VA-BC

Log in or register to post comments