Newer PICC lines substantially decrease the risk of occlusion of the catheter, swelling of the arm, blood clots, and blood infections.

“This incidence of PICC thrombosis is relatively high, and nearly half are asymptomatic”… Dr. Yuxiu Liu, MD. Oncology Department, the Hospital of Qingdao University.

What did Dr. Liu’s study “Peripherally inserted central catheter thrombosis incidence and risk factors in cancer patients: A double-center prospective investigation” say?

“Three hundred and eleven cancer patients were enrolled in the study. One hundred and sixty (51.4%) developed PICC thrombosis, of which 87 (54.4%) cases were symptomatic. The mean time interval from PICC insertion to thrombosis onset was 11.04 days.

Less activity and obesity are risk factors for PICC-related thrombosis.

There were several studies reporting higher PICC thrombosis incidence than ours”

Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management. 2015: 11 153-160.

“Safer technology in the design of the PICC line and central line catheters has been available for over 10 years and reduces the risk of PICC-related blood clots and infection.” — Greg Vigna, MD, JD

Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national pharmaceutical injury attorney explains, “Fortunately, these numbers will go down because there are now safer devices available compared to the ones used in the 2015 study. The new PICC lines substantially decrease the risk of occlusion of the catheter, swelling of the arm, blood clots, and blood infections. For those who suffer these PICC line complications, there is a good chance that they simply got the older designs that remain on the market instead of the safer devices.”

Dr. Vigna explains why the older PICC lines cause blood clots and infection, “The older PICC lines are made of polyurethane that triggers an immune response that creates fibrin coating which is a fibrous protein that is involved in the clotting of blood. By not using polyurethane in PICC lines and using a new PICC that is made of a ‘composite hydrogel’, platelet adhesion is decreased 97% when compared with the older polyurethane catheter. Platelet adhesion leads to blood clots. Blood clots lead to infection.”

What is sepsis? Multiple organ damage from inflammation as a result of infection that may result in organ damage to the brain, kidney, heart, liver, and lungs.

What is septic shock? A life-threatening condition that causes dangerously low blood pressure because of infection that may result in amputations of fingers and toes, brain damage, kidney failure, ventilator dependence, oxygen dependence, and nerve damage.

What is a deep vein thrombosis? Blood clots in the deep venous system that is referred to as DVT that have the potential to break off and travel to the lung and this is called a pulmonary embolism.

Dr. Vigna continues, “Safer technology in the design of the PICC line and central line catheters has been available for over 10 years and reduces the risk of PICC-related blood clots and infection. There is no justification for the continued marketing of the old catheters with obsolete technology.”

Dr. Vigna concludes, “As a practicing physician I considered blood clots and line infections as a complication of a medical device that my patients needed for life-saving intravenous medications. As a lawyer, I see older PICC lines and central lines causing avoidable injuries to neonates and patients of all ages.”

Dr. Vigna is a California and Washington D.C. lawyer who represents those with serious injuries caused by defective medical devices including PICC lines, midlines, and central lines. He represents the injured with the Ben Martin Law Group, a national pharmaceutical injury law firm in Dallas, Texas. The attorneys are product liability and medical malpractice attorneys, and they represent the most injured across the country.

Resources
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2147/TCRM.S73379
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibrin

Greg Vigna, MD, JD
Vigna Law Group
+1 800-761-9206
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