The ability to obtain venous access in the inpatient and outpatient setting is one of the most fundamental, yet, crucial components for a large number of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. It is especially vital for critically ill patients who often require frequent blood sampling, vasoactive medications, rapid fluid resuscitation, prolonged antibiotic administration and various other indications. Venous access can be obtained through conventional peripheral intravenous (IV) lines, midline peripheral catheters, and central venous catheters (CVCs). Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are a subset of central venous catheters. They are 50 cm to 60 cm long single, double or triple lumen catheters that are placed in a peripheral arm vein and terminate in the thorax. They can be used for medium-term venous access, which is defined as anywhere between several weeks to 6 months.
Reference:Gonzalez R, Cassaro S. Percutaneous Central Catheter (PICC). In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; September 7, 2020.