Quest for Knowledge: 365 Things I Learned This Year Day 3

My husband has been in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy. Even though the operation went smoothly, around 45 minutes, he did have some swelling and an infection where the operation was done.

When my husband was first admitted to the emergency room, he was hooked up to an intravenous unit to pump antibiotics, pain medicine and nutrients into him. Since my husband is diabetic, the doctor decided to have him stay a few extra days in the hospital. Rather than continuing with the IV unit, the doctor decided to use a PICC Line instead.

Two things I learned today are what a PICC Line is and that it is not spelled the way it is pronounced-Pick Line.

PICC is actually an acronym for Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter. The doctor believes that my husband may be on antibiotics for a while, even after he is discharged from the hospital. The PICC Line is geared for individuals who are going to receive nutrients and medicines intravenously over an extended period of time.

The PICC Line was inserted into my husband arm, through his largest vein, near the bend of his elbow. This PICC Line is called a Double Lumen. This way he can receive medications while at the same time have his blood drawn. This device also is helpful because, sometimes, my husband's veins are small and are hard to find. The PICC Line makes it a lot easier for the nurses to draw blood.

If somebody is going to get a PICC Line inserted, he must know of some possible risks. There can be infection where the PICC Line is inserted into the vein. This normally is treated with antibiotics.

Blood clots are another risk. Prior to getting this procedure done, my husband was given a blood thinner.

Finally, my husband must be careful when he is walking around. If the PICC Line gets cut, he must tell the nurse so it can be fixed or replaced.