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What is a PICC line? A PICC is a long, thin, flexible tube known as a catheter. It is inserted into one of the large veins of the arm near the bend of the elbow. It is then pushed into the vein until the tip sits in a large vein just above the heart. The tube is threaded through the vein until the end is near to your heart. The space in the middle of the tube is called the lumen. Sometimes the tube has two lumens. This allows different treatments to be given at the same time. At the end of the tube outside the body, each lumen has a special cap to which a drip line or syringe can be attached. There is also a clamp to keep the tube closed when it is not in use. The end of the tube comes out just below the bend of your elbow. What is it used for? The PICC line can be used to give you treatments such as chemotherapy and antibiotics. It can also be used to take samples of your blood for testing. You can go home with the PICC in and it can be left in for weeks or months. This makes it possible for you to have your treatment without having to have needles frequently inserted into your veins. This may be particularly helpful if your veins are hard to find or have been hardened by previous chemotherapy treatment. How is the catheter put in? Your PICC will be put in by a specially trained nurse or doctor, in an outpatient department or on the ward. It will be put in using a local anaesthetic, so that you do not feel any pain. First, the skin in the area where the PICC will be inserted is numbed, using a special anaesthetic cream. When the skin is completely numb a needle will be inserted and then removed as the PICC is threaded through it into the large vein which leads to your heart. This should not take long and is usually painless. The PICC will be held securely in place by a transparent dressing. You will then have a chest x-ray to check that the end of the tube is in the correct position. Possible problems when putting in the PICC: If your veins are small, it may be difficult to put the PICC in. Sometimes it can be difficult to thread the PICC up the vein towards the heart. If this happens, it is possible to try again using a different vein. Sometimes the PICC seems to go in easily but the x-ray shows it is not in the right place. If this happens it will be taken out and replaced.