Over the past few years, one of the major advancements in bedside
peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement has been the addition
of portable ultrasound for vascular access. Traditional bedside PICC insertion
success rates varied from 65% to 75% due to the limited visualized area of
access available for PICC placement (1.5 inches above to 1.5 inches below the
antecubital fossa). With the implementation of ultrasound, success rates have
climbed to 91%–94% for bed-side-placed PICC. This article reviews the
dynamics of ultrasound, provides practical tips to use image visualization,
and illustrates the important key functions of this technology.
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