REVEALED: What is the implication of the PICC line in Tinubu’s arm?
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That the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, returned to Nigerian on Monday with a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) line after 34 days in a Franch hospital is no longer news.
What should be a matter of serious concern to Nigerians is the implication of the PICC line in Tinubu’s arm.
This report will feature the implication, the purpose, the duration, the diseases, as well as the medication that involves PICC.
To start with, what is Peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line?
A PICC line is one type of catheter used to access the large veins in your chest (central venous catheter).
It is a type of long catheter that is inserted through a peripheral vein, often in the arm, into a larger vein in the body, used when intravenous treatment is required over a long period.
PICC is a thin, flexible tube that is inserted into a vein in the upper arm and guided (threaded) into a large vein above the right side of the heart called the superior vena cava.
Where is PICC line inserted?
A PICC line is inserted into a vein in the arm, leg or neck. The tip of the catheter is positioned in a large vein that carries blood into the heart. The PICC line is used for long-term intravenous (IV) antibiotics, nutrition or medications.
Examples of other types of PICC can be see below:
Image 1: PICC inserted through a peripheral vein in the arm
Can you give fluids through a PICC line?
Care teams can use PICC to give chemotherapy and other intravenous (IV) medications, such as antibiotics and blood transfusions, as well as IV fluids.
Why would a patient need a PICC line?
A PICC line is used to deliver medications and other treatments directly to the large central veins near the heart. A doctor might recommend a PICC line if the treatment plan requires frequent needle sticks for medicine or blood draws.
Why use a PICC line instead of an IV?
A PICC line is thicker and more durable than a regular IV. It’s also much longer and goes farther into the vein. Health care providers use a PICC line instead of a regular IV line because it can stay in place longer.
How long can a PICC line stay in?
PICC may have one or two lines (also known as lumens); fluids will go into these lines. The PICC line generally stays in for about a month, but can be left in longer (up to 3 months and sometimes a bit more) if needed and if the patient doesn’t get an infection. Regular checkups with the doctor are very important.
Which vein is used for PICC line?
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PICCs are placed through the basilic, brachial, cephalic, or medial cubital vein of the arm. The right basilic vein is the vein of choice due to its larger size and superficial location.
What diseases need a PICC line?
This question, no doubt, raises the hairs on the body of an average Nigerian, especially when the life of the country’s past and present presidents — Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari — are considered.
Whereby Yar’Adua died whilst in office, Buhari has been in and out of medical checkups throughout the eight years of his tenure, on one occasion 104 days, with financial obligations on the economy running into millions of Dollars.
PICC lines can be used for treatment for conditions such as Cancer, Diabetes, Lyme Disease, POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachaycardia Syndrome), Cystic Fibrosis, and Gastrointestinal Diseases such as Crohns.
This is evidently not the disease an average Nigerian will wish for an incoming president.
What is the difference between PICC and CVC?
PICC stands for “peripherally inserted central-line catheter” whereby CVC stands for “central venous catheter.”
CVC is identical to a PICC line, except it’s placed in the chest or neck. A port is a catheter that’s implanted surgically under the skin on the chest.
Image 2: PICC inserted through a peripheral vein in the chest
What medication is used to unclog a PICC line?
Cathflo® Activase® (alteplase) is indicated for the restoration of function to central venous access devices as assessed by the ability to withdraw blood.
Summary
The summation of the Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) on Tinubu is that the president-elect of the February 25, 2023, presidential election, an old man, is heavily medically challenged.
With the pressures and wears and tears from the office of the president of the most populous Black country in Africa, Nigerians will have to wait to see the outcome of the PICC on the man — Tinubu. Read more.
