Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Placement
Hours
7 days a week
Pages answered 7am—6pm
Holidays 8am—3pm
Additional Contact Information
Key Tomlin
Administrative Assistant
Phone: 801-585-7959
Fax: 801-585-2793
Pager: 801-339-6425
Email:vascular.access@hsc.utah.edu
Vascular Access (PICC) Team Supervisor
Stacey Stenseth, BSN, RN, VA-BC
Pager: 801-339-4764
Office: 801-585-2093
University of Utah Health’s Vascular Access (PICC) Team is a team of health care professionals specially trained in vascular access—or putting catheters inside your blood vessels so your body can get the medicine and nutrients it needs. We use ultrasound and ECG technology to place:
- peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs),
- midlines, and
- difficult IVS.
We serve both inpatients and outpatients at University of Utah Hospital and Huntsman Cancer Hospital.
We do our best to ensure each patient receives the most appropriate line for their vascular access needs.We understand that having an IV or other line inserted can be uncomfortable. We strive to make your patient experience exceptional.
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC)
A PICC is a hollow, flexible catheter that is inserted into a vein in your upper arm. PICCs end in the cavo-atrial junction near your heart. Medical teams use PICCs to give medicine, hydration (fluids), or nutrition (food) to patients who can’t get them orally. Clinicians can also use PICCs to collect blood for lab tests.
Your specialist can insert your PICC into your arm using a sterile technique right at the bedside so you don’t have to move to a procedure room. To insert your PICC, your specialist will numb skin on your upper arm with local anesthetic. This will minimize any pain you may have when your specialist places the PICC.
PICC lines can stay in for days to months, depending on your health needs.
Midlines
Midlines are a type of peripheral IV that are inserted into your upper arm. The catheter is flexible and is about five to eight inches long. A midline can stay in your arm for up to four weeks. Because specialists use a sterile technique to place them, they can stay in your arm safely with a lower risk of infection.
To place your midline, your specialist will numb the area on your upper arm with local anesthetic. The anesthetic will help you feel as little pain as possible when your specialist inserts the midline. Even though midlines can deliver medicines into your veins, clinicians can’t always use them to draw your blood.
For Referring & Ordering Providers: Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral IV
Our team is a consulting service. We are happy to assist with appropriate line selection for patients’ infusion and access needs, whether inpatient or outpatient. Most lines are placed the same day that the provider referral is made.
You can also page our team and request that we start ultrasound guided peripheral IVs in an inpatient setting. We use ultrasounds to find and see veins and then numb the skin around the IV with local anesthetic to minimize pain. Wait times may vary for this service; at times, we are unable to assist with this service due to the large volume of PICC/midline orders.
We also take referrals for outpatients with limited venous access options who need assistance with USG PIVs starts for infusions, access for CT/MRI scans, and access for procedures.