# Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines)

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/picc-lines/  
OnCo record `picc-lines` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

A long thin tube put in through a vein in the upper arm so that its tip lies near the heart. It stays in for weeks or months, so chemotherapy can be given and blood taken without repeated needles.

## Summary

PICCs fall under FDA product code LJS (intravascular therapeutic catheter, long-term greater than 30 days; 21 CFR 880.5970). Examples cleared in the 510(k) database include C.R. Bard's PowerPICC Provena catheters (K162443, 25 October 2016), the Groshong NXT PICC catheter (K201452, 12 March 2021) and Access Vascular's HydroPICC (dual lumen 5Fr, K251212, 1 July 2025). The tip position matters: systems that confirm it by the heart's electrical signal and magnetic tracking have their own record, as do the subcutaneous anchors used to hold a PICC in place. Unlike a port, part of the line stays outside the skin, so it needs a dressing, weekly care and protection when washing.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: standard-of-care
- Last checked: 2026-11-04
- Also known as: PICC; PICC line; Peripherally inserted central catheter; PowerPICC; Groshong PICC; HydroPICC
- Tags: devices-gaps-2026-11
- Principle: A soft polyurethane or silicone catheter is threaded under ultrasound guidance from an upper-arm vein to the lower superior vena cava; the external hub is closed with a needleless connector and flushed between uses.
- Since: 2016
- Strengths: Placed at the bedside or in a treatment room without an operation; Removed by pulling it out; Suitable for weeks to months of treatment
- Limitations: The external part needs dressing changes and limits swimming; Arm vein thrombosis and line infection; Tip may move and need checking

## Sources

- FDA product code LJS: long-term intravascular therapeutic catheter: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfPCD/classification.cfm?ID=LJS
- FDA 510(k) K162443: PowerPICC Provena catheters (25 October 2016): https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K162443
- FDA 510(k) K201452: Groshong NXT PICC catheter (12 March 2021): https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K201452
- FDA 510(k) K251212: Access Vascular HydroPICC (1 July 2025): https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K251212

## Connected records

- cancers: [Acute myeloid leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/aml/), [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/), [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/)
- fronts: [Chemotherapy](https://onco.cc/fronts/chemotherapy/), [Devices & Physical Therapies](https://onco.cc/fronts/devices/), [Supportive Care & Survivorship](https://onco.cc/fronts/supportive-care/)
- technologies: [Ambulatory and elastomeric pumps for home chemotherapy (CADD-Solis, Curlin, Sapphire, Avoset, SMARTeZ)](https://onco.cc/technologies/ambulatory-chemotherapy-pumps/), [Catheter lock solutions (heparin, taurolidine and DefenCath)](https://onco.cc/technologies/catheter-lock-solutions/), [Catheter securement devices and dressings (SecurAcath, Tegaderm CHG)](https://onco.cc/technologies/catheter-securement-devices/), [Disinfecting caps for needleless connectors (Curos)](https://onco.cc/technologies/needleless-connector-disinfecting-caps/), [Implanted ports for chemotherapy (port-a-cath, power-injectable, apheresis and intraperitoneal ports)](https://onco.cc/technologies/implanted-ports/), [Infusion pumps, ports, and ambulatory chemotherapy devices](https://onco.cc/technologies/infusion-devices-vascular-access/), [PICC tip location systems (Sherlock 3CG, SmartPICC)](https://onco.cc/technologies/picc-tip-location-systems/)
- companies: [BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)](https://onco.cc/companies/becton-dickinson/)
- terms: [Central venous access (port, PICC line)](https://onco.cc/terms/central-venous-access/)

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