Persistent left superior vena cava and the correct interpretation of a peripherally inserted central catheter tip position

The case reported here of an infant with a PICC tip residing in a PLSVC posed local debate about the best course of action to take. Nevertheless, this experience has raised awareness of the need for practitioners to be aware of the potential for unusual features like PLSVC, to confound the practice expectations and prompted exploration of whether to adopt newer technologies (such as bedside ultrasound) into the PICC insertion practice portfolio.

Authors :
Matheus van Rens¹ Director of Nursing and Vascular Access, NICU mrens@hamad.qa
Kevin Hugill² Director of Nursing (Education)
Aala Eldin Fawzy Mohamed El Fakharany¹ Consultant Radiologist, Clinical Imaging Department
Krisha Leigh Garcia1 Nurse Educator, NICU

¹Women’s Wellness and Research Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
²Nursing and Midwifery Education Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar