posted
Posting here as well as Medical so everyone sees it.
All the medical personnel we have spoken to say they have never seen this before, but want to let you know it's possible so you can be sure it doesn't happen to you.
When my husband Bill had his PICC line removed last week, the nurse put a folded up piece of gauze over the incision site and pulled the line out slowly.
The nurse held pressure on it for a minute then taped the gauze tightly to his arm and said to leave it on for at least 30 minutes.
We did some errands and arrived home about 3 hours later. When we began to remove the bandage we discovered there was a clear looking tube coming out of his arm with a bloody end dried to the bandage.
When we moved it, the clear tube filled with blood, and we realized that it was his vein.
Evidently, when they removed the line, Bill's vein had broken, been pulled out of his arm, and stuck onto the bandage.
We immediately reapplied pressure and took him to the emergency room. They tied it off with dissolving stitch material, and put the vein back in his arm.
The doctor said the other end of the broken vein had already clotted off and that Bill would be fine. No problem. Needless to say, our infectious disease doctor is very concerned about infection.
Freaked us out!!! So the lesson here is that the nurse should look at the PICC site visually before you are released, just to be sure that everything looks OK.
Had he gone home, taken a nap, and the vein had bled, it could have been very bad. Bill is fine, and all will be well as long as it doesn't become infected.
Has anyone else had this happen? Also, when they removed your line, did they disinfect the site at all. Our nurse didn't do any disinfecting.
-------------------- Wishing You Showers Of Blessings! Lyme since Fall 1983 = Diagnosed Summer 2008 IV Rocephin 7 weeks Stopped due to drug fever Now doxycycline "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 Posts: 430 | From Sunny South | Registered: Jul 2008
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Ocean
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Melody, I'm so sorry this has happened!! I've never heard of this happening and I'm so glad that you realized something was wrong. I would assume that the site wouldn't be disinfected because once the line is removed, the blood would be flowing too much, unless you mean before they pull it? I'm an RN and have pulled Umbilical Arterial Catheters which are central lines and we never disinfected, pressure is key when pulling a central line.
To me, it surprises me that the nurse didn't see the vein though, I would think when pulling it, you would see it come out. Hmmm...
posted
Ocean, the nurse didn't see the vein because she never looked under the bandage.
I'm sure she was following their procedure, but I suggested that their procedure should be altered to include looking at the site before they release the patient.
Always an advocate for positive change. =)
-------------------- Wishing You Showers Of Blessings! Lyme since Fall 1983 = Diagnosed Summer 2008 IV Rocephin 7 weeks Stopped due to drug fever Now doxycycline "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 Posts: 430 | From Sunny South | Registered: Jul 2008
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Ocean
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3496
posted
Hi Melody, I agree that the site needs to be checked! We always checked the babies umbilicus after removing a UVC or UAC, just have to apply pressure to stop the bleeding, THEN check to see if bleeding stopped, observe site.
I've never pulled a picc line (most of our babies had a UAC), but would assume standard procedure would be to look at the site!
Again, I'm so glad hubby is OK, what a scary experience!!!!
Ocean
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3496
posted
Optimistic, Nooooo.... please tell me that isn't true about the IV's!!!! Oh my goodness! I am such a pain now since I'm a nurse. In the Er for my panic attack last week, I wanted to see my EKG, my labs, wanted to know what the ER doc was ordering for my thyroid test (T3, T4 or just TSH, T4 and TSH he assured me). Mistakes happen, but the IV thing is deliberate malpractice! I think because I worked in a level 3 NICU with very sick babies, we were all VERY careful. I probably washed my hands 60-100 times in a shift. We could not wear rings, watches, ect.
I HATE it when I see nurses with artifical nails! If I ever have a nurse with them I will request another nurse. In college, it was drilled into our heads that they harbor bacteria and can make people sick. It's just unprofessional IMO, I think all hospitals should force all people who have contact with patients to have short nails, no polish! My goodness when I used to waitress, we couldn't wear nail polish, but when you work in a hospital it's OK?
Sometimes we had a 1000 cc iv bag for a baby who then got d/c, we cut it and disposed of it, even if it was used for 30 mins. We would never dream of reusing it, even with new tubing! That is crazy!
I think that is why I haven't started my oral meds yet (just diagnosed a few weeks ago), I know too much, too many people have interactions and reactions. It's scary!
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Ocean and OptiMisTick, the picc removal was done in the hospital's Outpatient surgery dept.
After reading your posts I am even more convinced of our new policy. Neither one of us goes into the hospital unless the other stays with them 24/7.
My husband Bill suffered a spontaneous carotid artery dissection last year. So many mistakes during the 11 days in the hospital, that we decided never to go into the hospital alone!
The nurses / doctors I know are wonderful, caring, dedicated people, but their like are becoming fewer.
Wishing you both blessings!
-------------------- Wishing You Showers Of Blessings! Lyme since Fall 1983 = Diagnosed Summer 2008 IV Rocephin 7 weeks Stopped due to drug fever Now doxycycline "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 Posts: 430 | From Sunny South | Registered: Jul 2008
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Ocean
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Member # 3496
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Melody, That is a VERY wise decision! I had a terrible experience in a hospital (prior to becoming an RN) when I had my appendectomy. Now, I will never go into a hospital without someone. You are right in that there are still caring health professionals out there, but are becoming a rarity. I have met some and I wonder why on earth they ever went into the health care field?
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