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A midline is a thin tube put into a vein near the inside of the elbow or the upper arm. It is longer than an ordinary drip but stops short of the large veins near the heart, so it suits treatments that last more than a few days but are not too harsh for a smaller vein.
The CDC/HICPAC catheter guideline (2011, last updated 2017) describes a midline catheter as 3 to 8 inches long, "inserted via the antecubital fossa into the proximal basilic or cephalic veins", one that "does not enter central veins". It notes lower rates of phlebitis than short peripheral catheters and lower rates of infection than central venous catheters, and cites a prospective study of 140 midlines with a bloodstream infection rate of 0.8 per 1,000 catheter days, in place for a median of 7 days and up to 49. Its recommendations are to use a midline or a PICC instead of a short peripheral catheter when intravenous therapy will likely last more than six days, and to replace midlines only when there is a specific indication.
Because the tip lies in a peripheral vein, the choice between a midline and a central line in cancer care turns on what will be infused and for how long. The MAGIC-ONC panel (2025) rated device choice for adults with cancer by cancer type, urgency, infusate and planned dwell time; for chemotherapy in solid tumours it rated a single-lumen tunnelled central venous catheter or an implanted port as appropriate.
A peripheral catheter long enough to sit in the larger upper-arm veins (basilic or cephalic) rather than the forearm, giving a longer dwell than a short cannula without the tip reaching the superior vena cava.
Query for this technology: (TITLE:"Midline catheters" OR ABSTRACT:"Midline catheters" OR TITLE:"peripheral venous catheters 3 to 8 inches long" OR ABSTRACT:"peripheral venous catheters 3 to 8 inches long" OR TITLE:"Midline" OR ABSTRACT:"Midline" OR TITLE:"Midline catheter" OR ABSTRACT:"Midline catheter") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Midline catheters (peripheral venous catheters 3 to 8 inches long), not a curated reading list.
Shares Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), Implanted ports for chemotherapy (port-a-cath, power-injectable, apheresis and intraperitoneal ports), Infusion pumps, ports, and ambulatory chemotherapy devices, Central venous access (port, PICC line) and the tag supportive-care-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), Implanted ports for chemotherapy (port-a-cath, power-injectable, apheresis and intraperitoneal ports), Infusion pumps, ports, and ambulatory chemotherapy devices, Central venous access (port, PICC line) and the tag supportive-care-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), Implanted ports for chemotherapy (port-a-cath, power-injectable, apheresis and intraperitoneal ports), Central venous access (port, PICC line) and the tag supportive-care-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Implanted ports for chemotherapy (port-a-cath, power-injectable, apheresis and intraperitoneal ports), Central venous access (port, PICC line) and the tag supportive-care-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), Implanted ports for chemotherapy (port-a-cath, power-injectable, apheresis and intraperitoneal ports), Central venous access (port, PICC line) and the tag supportive-care-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), Infusion pumps, ports, and ambulatory chemotherapy devices, Central venous access (port, PICC line).
Shares Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), Implanted ports for chemotherapy (port-a-cath, power-injectable, apheresis and intraperitoneal ports), Central venous access (port, PICC line).
Shares Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), Implanted ports for chemotherapy (port-a-cath, power-injectable, apheresis and intraperitoneal ports), Central venous access (port, PICC line).
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