Use of peripherally inserted central catheters has increased in hospital settings but can result in serious complications. A international panel of experts has published a criteria for the use of PICCs as a supplement in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
A growing number of studies have suggested that there is significant variation in the scenarios in which PICCs are used and therefore, instances of potentially inappropriate use. In light of this the criteria include guidelines for appropriate use, care and management of PICCs as well as related venous access devices. It was written following the systematic review of existing literature and created scenarios based on duration of use, patient population and indication for insertion.