Types of Catheters

Question:

What is the difference between a central venous catheter, a Hickman catheter and a PICC catheter?

Dr. Gallant's Response:

A Hickman catheter is one type of central venous catheter. It is inserted surgically through the chest wall, and has a cuff which keeps the outside world from getting in around the catheter and keeps the catheter from falling out. Other examples of central venous catheters are Hohn's (like Hickmans but with sutures instead of a cuff) and implanted subcutaneous catheters like Pass-Ports, Port-a-Caths, and Perm-a-Caths (I may not have the brand name spelling right on those ones). The implantable catheters last a long time and are less prone to becoming infected, but are somewhat more expensive and more complicated to insert.

A PICC catheter is a central venous catheter that is inserted peripherally (through an arm vein). It is designed for shorter-term use than a centrally inserted catheter.

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