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Old Sat Aug 31, 2013, 10:24 PM
Chirley Chirley is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Logan City Australia
Posts: 1,100
Honey, the lines in your arms are usually PICC lines (peripherally inserted central catheter). They protrude from the skin and require weekly, if not more often, dressings. You have to be conscious of them all the time and wrap them up with waterproof plastic when showering. They are also prone to infections and blocking (clots etc).

Portocaths are inserted surgically either in radiology or theatre. They have a reservoir that lies under the skin of the chest wall with a line that feeds through the subclavian vein to the large vein at the entrance of the heart, the superior vena cava. (that's why it's called central). When you require treatment they insert a needle through the skin and into the port reservoir. Generally it's pretty painless but some nurses place an ice cube on the skin first to numb it and some use a cream called EMLA, that is a topical anaesthetic. But, generally you really don't need anything for the pain. It hurts less then a blood test or IV. The needle can stay in for a week at a time if you need it and its so comfortable that you forget it's even there. When you're not having treatment, the needle comes out and the only maintenance is a monthly or two monthly flush to keep it from blocking. Because it lies completely under the skin it has a lower infection rate than a PICC line.

Here is a picture of my port after having it for 5 years. Note the slight bruise where I had the needle in last week. It's placed just under the right collar bone.
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