Medical Term of the Day: "PICC line"

"PICC" stands for peripherally inserted central catheter.  It is a more dependable, longer lasting (especially with Ayden) alternative to an IV.  It is one of many ways in which the doctors can have "access" to Ayden, which is to say it's one way they can quickly and easily inject him with something or draw blood.  Unlike an IV, which is basically just a needle sticking into a vein, the catheter of a PICC line is extended deeper into the body, which allows for quicker dispersion of medications throughout the body and for better readings from blood tests.  The team that puts it in uses imaging equipment - e.g., ultrasound or x-ray - to find a suitable vein, track its insertion through that vein, and check for final placement.  Sometimes they get it in, sometimes they don't (especially with Ayden).

Ayden is on his third PICC line.  The first, which he received while his was in the NICU, did not last very long, causing some major problems.  The second was put in his right ankle during his first stay in the PCCU, about a week after his surgery.  This one lasted a very long time.  It was actually still working when Ayden had his arrest almost six weeks later.  Even after the arrest, it worked.  Unfortunately, for the ablation, Dr. Fish had to insert the RF catheter into Ayden's upper right leg, the same leg where the PICC was.  Thus, Dr. Fish "broke" the PICC (he came right out and said he broke it the next day during rounds).  We have forgiven him this indiscretion, as the ablation seems to have done its job.  That's a trade off we're definitely willing to make.

The third one, inserted on Tuesday, is now in his right groin.  While this is a stressful location for it, it is nowhere near as stressful as having the right atrial line (a line, as it sounds, going into his right atrium) hanging out from his chest (getting the PICC in allowed the RA line to come out).  I was always worried about messing that one up, or worse, accidentally pulling it.  The PICC is a much more manageable line from a parent perspective.  We would've had to work really hard to screw up the one in his ankle.