Noticed this yesterday and I'm not sure what it is from. My new PICC (approx 3wks old) is very slowly leaking a light yellow fluid. It is clear, not cloudy or pus like. There is no smell, no pain. No signs of infection or clot.
The PICC works great. When I flush and run my antibiotics there is no visible leaking. When my last PICC broke it leaked with my flush and the biopatch immediately swelled up. My biopatch is not swelling this time, it feels spongy (like it should) and appears dry.
So this clear light yellow fluid is very slowly running up my catheter (crusty yellow crystals visible now) and gathering under my stat-lock. I can see the dried yellow through the holes of my statlock.
I noticed some dried drainage on the bottom of the statlock with the last dressing change (sunday). About a quarter in size. Thought it was unusual, assumed it was residual blood and chloraprep from the hub of the catheter. I thought it was a fluke and didn't worry about it.
Now I'm concerned because this stuff is irritating my skin under the stat-lock. My PICC literally has no external catheter length so I cannot reposition the stat-lock with next dressing change.
So I'm thinking that this has to be serous fluid, lymph drainage, or possibly from my edema? Anyone experience anything like this?
Crazy thing is that I cannot see any drainage occurring now as I've been watching it this morning. Am I somehow injuring the site while I sleep? The insertion site is a good bit larger than the actual catheter size so each time the dressing has been changed we've dislodged a clot. A couple hours later after the dressing change a new clot has formed to seal up the hole around the catheter.
Any ideas?
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
Oh no. You certainly need a break from PICC problems. Maybe one of the infusion nurses on this forum will have suggestions for you.
The only thing that came to my mind when you said it was yellow, was that heparin is yellow, and some IV drug solutions are yellowish. Are you still on tygacil? Maybe this is totally off the wall.
And BTW, I recently posted on my own PICC problems, bleeding, and from the suggestions I got, I stopped using this arm for almost everything and did not extend or reach with it. Bleeding has stopped. The conclusion I reached is that these things can be a very tricky and it is better to use the arm less.
Posted by keltyl (Member # 14050) on :
Sammy, this is exactly what it looked like under my bandage that took me to ER 2x b/c I thought my picc was leaking.
After many months they realized it was from my skin being allergic to everything. It was yellow and got crusty, just as you explain. Not saying for sure that is what is happening to you, but it sounds so familiar.
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
Thank you lou and keltyl.
None of my antibiotics or the heparin flush dry out to be that color of lemony yellow. I did a little experiment and let a drop of each dry on a piece of gauze this morning. But lou, you are right if I was still on Tygacil I would immediately suspect it because it is that same yellow color.
The dried yellow drainage is only visible on top and around the catheter then under the stat-lock. There is only about 1cm of catheter length that is visible before the hub connection. It is not seen on the hub or anywhere else under the dressing.
*Knock on wood* I don't think that I am allergic to the stat-lock or this dressing because the skin looks and looked fine/normal when I changed the dressing on sunday. I actually used a different brand securement device last week because I ran out of the regular brand name stat-locks. This generic brand was more cloth like with an adhesive base so it absorbed the fluid. That's probably why I didn't see it until the dressing change until Sunday. This brand stat-lock foam base is not good at absorbing any moisture.
I am allergic to Steri Strips, plastic tape, Tegederm, and Sorbaview dressings so I do pray that I will not develop an allergy to this IV3000 dressing. The other dressings leave large painful blisters that open and weep. But the fluid with that was not yellow like this is.
And I am trying not to use my PICC arm so much but it is difficult to remember! I don't notice that I'm using it until it hurts and then it is too late.
You all are great, keep the ideas coming!
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
sammy i have had straw colored crusty appearance on my cath. at insertion point. It was not under my dressing but at the hub. I think that mine was from the chloraprep.
are you making sure that the chloraprep is dry before you place the stat-loc and bandage?
just a thought.....
Posted by keltyl (Member # 14050) on :
Sammy, I was allergic to all you named plus the IV3000. The only tape that could touch my skin was paper tape. it started right away with the stat lock, that got beet red underneath.
Then it started with all the bandages, had this yellow stuff as you explained b/f. I was sure each time my picc was leaking. Ended up using a bio patch (but couldn't use cloraprep b/c of the alcohol). Used Sorbaview quite awhile, then it started again.
The only thing I could use was sterile gauze,biopatch, and aw can't remember what it's called. The stuff you wrap that sticks to itself. That held everything in place.
Had I known all this many months earlier, my picc line experience would have been much easier.
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
Thank you feelfit and keltyl.
To be safe I went ahead and changed the dressing today.
The Biopatch was clean, perfectly white. Only a small scab at the insertion site today. The yellow crust started where the hub and catheter meet, it saturated the L side of the stat-lock and only part of the R side.
Skin under the stat-lock was very wet and a little bumpy but not really red and not weeping itself. It felt so much better to get the stat-lock off and clean the area with chloraprep. I was extra careful to make sure the chloraprep was dry before proceeding.
I decided not to use a stat-lock under the dressing so that I can watch the area better. I folded a 2x2 piece of gauze and put it under the hub to keep the plastic off my skin and to help me see where the leak/drainage is coming from. Replaced the biopatch and IV3000 dressing then finished by securing the external lumen so that the catheter doesn't move.
So I guess we'll see what happens from here. I don't want my new PICC line to be broken but I also don't want to be dealing with another allergy.
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
Keep us posted Sammy....will be thinking of you.
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
It does sound like either an allergy or possibly Candida. I had allergies to the Tegederm, the tape, etc., when I had my PICC. Then, I developed an allergy to the IV 3000, too (temporarily).
I had to remove the stat-lock, etc, clean it, then wrap the arm with sterile gauze that clings to itself. You can get it at some drug stores.
Oh, and I used some cortisone cream on it before I wrapped it. It was over the counter cortisone cream that I only used for this purpose. This is what my infusion nurse said to to do. It cleared up in a week or so. Then, I was able to use the IV 3000 dressings again.
Do you have an infusion nurse that could look at it for you? I know you don't have one now, but one that would do you a favor?
Posted by keltyl (Member # 14050) on :
My home health care nurses were useless when I had a problem. The first time I was treated for a yeast infection, but that was not the problem.
I also had to have gauze under the hub, was allergic to the plastic.
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
I discussed this with one of my RN friends last night. We decided that it must be serous fluid leading from the insertion site. The site is much bigger than the actual catheter and it has not sealed itself closed yet.
She said that she's seen lots of PICCs drain from the site before but she had never had fluid drain down under the Stat-lock like mine did. This is what stumped me too.
The gauze under the hub is dry and the Biopatch remained soft until I checked it this morning. There is an area where I can see a small amount of fluid leaked again and has dried. At least the Biopatch caught it this time. It helped that the Biopatch fit as it should now, it doesn't fit all the way around the catheter when I use the Stat-lock.
So it looks like I'm going to have to dress it like this, without the brand Stat-lock at least until the site heals and stops randomly draining.
This is just another one of those times where you live an learn. I'm so relieved that the PICC itself isn't broken and that I'm not dealing with another allergy. Thank God!
Thank you all for listening and helping me figure this out Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
good news!
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
Whew! That's good. It makes sense. Time to tell God that you've had quite enough challenges, thank you very much! Time for a break from all of them.
Posted by keltyl (Member # 14050) on :
Yes, good news. Glad you won't have to go through what I did with all the allergies.
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
It is excellent news!
I certainly hope that God has some good things in store for me, and all of you my Lyme friends, in the very near future Posted by steve1906 (Member # 16206) on :
So happy to hear the good news! I'm glad you're feeling better...
Posted by coffee71 (Member # 17467) on :
sammy I am alergic to statlock.It caused similar symptoms plus blisters. I have been using Universal Catheter Securement.
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