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What Causes Swelling And Leaking At The Site Of PICC Line?
Question: My husband is getting IV antibiotics for a bone infection in his toes. He has a PICC line in his arm and the arm started "leaking" tonight. Arm is mildly swollen. He has very thin skin and it seems to be coming right through the skin. It has soaked the arm of his shirt. Will this wait until tomorrow, or should I call an ambulance?
Brief Answer:
Depends on severity of symptoms.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
The swelling and leaking at the site of PICC line is likely to be due to an inflammation in the area. If the discharge is not blood stained or XXXXXXX blood and the i.v. line is working fine then this can wait till tomorrow. In case the fluid contains blood and the swelling is gradually increasing with extreme pain or the fluid infusion has stopped then it is best to call an ambulance.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal
Depends on severity of symptoms.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
The swelling and leaking at the site of PICC line is likely to be due to an inflammation in the area. If the discharge is not blood stained or XXXXXXX blood and the i.v. line is working fine then this can wait till tomorrow. In case the fluid contains blood and the swelling is gradually increasing with extreme pain or the fluid infusion has stopped then it is best to call an ambulance.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal
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Dr. Shanthi.E
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