Alternative Access

Power Hour Breakout

(F5-I) From PICCs and ports to PICC-ports: The New Option for Vascular Access Device Selection

Presenter(s)

• 

  Sergio Bertoglio, Ass.ProfofSurgery

  MD
  Dipartimento di Chirurgia Università degli Studi di Genova and Ospedale Policlinico SanMartino ,Genova-Italy

  Nothing to Disclose

PICCs and chest-ports lines are well known in the clinical practice as part of the algorithm for vascular access device selection especially for cancer patients.More recently, peripheral inserted arm port implantation has gained in interest as an alternative to chest wall ports to reduce complications rates and improve patient satisfaction. Especially, for breast cancer female patients, the absence of an anterior thorax wall scar and the easier access to the port without the need of exposing the chest represent a considerable cosmetic and psychological advantage.The recent introduction of PICC-PORTs device offers several advantages over the previous described devices in terms of better patient compliance and low complications rates.

Learning Objectives:

• understand the differences and similarities between PICC, chest-port, braquial-port and PICC-port in terms of materials, indications and performances
• review data from 2 Italian University Hospitals placing PICC-port lines in oncology patients
• understand vascular access professional needed skills for PICC-port insertion
• Understand legal points on nursing placing PICC-port lines in Europe