Think of a PICC line as an IV that you can go home with to continue receiving periodic IV medications.Amy (the mom) had surgery on her leg on Wed June 14.
The grandmother wrote this: Amy was in surgery to remove hardware in her right leg and infection was found. She will have a PICC line and antibiotics for another 4-6 weeks.
What is a PICC line? From the Mayo Clinic:
A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), also called a PICC line, is a long, thin tube that's inserted through a vein in your arm and passed through to the larger veins near your heart. Very rarely, the PICC line may be placed in your leg.
A PICC line gives your doctor access to the large central veins near the heart. It's generally used to give medications or liquid nutrition. A PICC line can help avoid the pain of frequent needle sticks and reduce the risk of irritation to the smaller veins in your arms.
A PICC line requires careful care and monitoring for complications, including infection and blood clots.
A PICC line is one type of catheter used to access the large veins in your chest (central venous catheter). Examples of other types of central venous catheters include implantable ports and central lines.
Peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line - Mayo Clinic
www.mayoclinic.org