Forum topic

Lisa Y., Team Leader IV Team UPMC St. Margaret Pittsburgh

If you want to email me privately I can provide feedback.  [email protected]

 Janet,

   You cannot go wrong with the Boston Sci PASV.  We used to see occlusions all the time and the occasional infection, but since we switched to the PASV 3 years ago, we have seen 3 solid occlusions and one infection.  I do not want to bad mouth anyone elses products on-line, so if you want to know what products we have used and did not have good luck with, email me privately at [email protected].  You may also wish to consider trialing the Navigator navigational Device by Viasys healthcare Medsystems, since you are looking at other piccs.  Bard will only let you use the Sherlock on Bard piccs.  I also think the Navigator is superior at this time in the game.  We have been using it for several years, and our team would not work without it anymore.  It's great,  You can tell where the tip is no matter where it goes.  Good luck!

Heather

Janet,

I agree about Bos Sci.  We have been placing their picc lines for almost two years now and have seen a tremendous reduction in occlusions and primary CRBSI.  I love the PASV technology.  We no longer use heparin to "lock" any of our picc lines and find it is much safer as there are now so many documented cases of HIT and heparin allergies. 

As for the Sonosite ILook, we love it also.  It is very easy to use and extremely portable.  We use it to assist with difficult peripheral IV accesses as well and have been very successful with that technique as well. 

Best of luck to you.

Kathy Kokotis

Bard Access Systems

Here is my advice:

A shift from Site Rite 2 to any ultrasound machine will be a welcome change for you.  You say you have 5 facilities.  What I would consider is will you need an ultrasound machine at each facility.  If so look at a bulk pricing agreement.  Do you use the needle-guides or are you needle-guide free.  That is something to consider.  Do you want controls on the probes?  Will new nurse's need training.  Make sure the company will train you.  Silcone Per-Q-Cath.  You must now feel like a kid in a candy store.  So many choices.

The biggest factor is 5 facilities and 1,000 lines a year.  How much staffing do you have and how many beds is each facility.  What type of patients do you have?  Will there be a need for CVP and PICC, triple lumen and a PICC, power injection.  Heparin free can be done with any PICC line you purchase valved or non-valved.  I would look at all those factors.  Do you have a full barrier kit now or will you need one.

Word of advice hospitals with a well desingned program and early assessment place PICC lines in 25% of admits and do about 5-7 PICC lines per bed per year.  One RN can place 800-1,000 PICC lines per year.  Make sure you have the staffing besides the equipment you need.

I have used the Site rite 5 and the sherlock and would not use any other U/S.  We have cut the number repeat xrays by about 70% and this really makes the picc insertion so much better.  As for PICCs we use the groshong for the ave. patient but have set-up guidlelines for power piccs.  We have positive pressure caps and have not used heparin for for many years.  As long as the nursing staff flush as policy says.