Only proceed with these steps if you are a registered doctor or nurse who is qualified to take care of the patient.

These materials will include a pair of sterile scissors, some air-occlusive dressing, a stitch cutter, sterile dressing packages and cotton balls soaked in betadine solution. Systematically arrange all of these materials near the patient’s bed before the procedure, so they are orderly and easy to reach.

Make sure the patient has a clean bed, with fresh sheets. This helps to make the patient more comfortable and avoid infection.

This is an important step, as it cleans any bacteria from the surface of the skin, reducing the chance of infection. Once you’ve cleaned the skin, turn off the infusion set and prepare the dressing patch so it is ready to apply immediately following the procedure.

Upon removal of the catheter, immediately cover the insertion site with sterile gauze and hold it in place using light pressure. Ask the patient to continue holding their breath while you cover the area with an occlusive dressing. Once this is done, allow the patient to breathe normally and return to a comfortable position.

The dressing should remain in place for 24-72 hours, depending on the length of time the catheter was used for.

Breakage of the PICC line. This is serious complication of PICC line removal. To prevent breakage, the line should be removed gently land slowly without exerting much force. Infection. This is another potentially serious complication that a patient with PICC line can experience. An infection can arise at any time. Therefore, it is beneficial for the medical team to regularly monitor the PICC line, clean and train you to maintain its sterility as much as possible. The line would be flushed after each use and between changes of medication using a syringe of normal saline. [3] X Trustworthy Source MedlinePlus Collection of medical information sourced from the US National Library of Medicine Go to source Blood clot. " While the PICC line is in place for weeks or months it is a good practice to infuse enough heparin (an anticoagulant) to fill the line thus preventing the line or tip from forming small blood clots between uses, in the idle time until the next infusion. This is done immediately after flushing the line with a syringe of normal saline solution. [4] X Research source Embolism caused by catheter fracture. This is a serious complication of PICC line removal that can cause the patient to lose consciousness if a blood clot reaches the brain. Swelling and redness. These inflammatory symptoms can also occur as a complication of PICC line. The swelling and redness usually develop near the insertion of the catheter site.

One of the most common OTC pain medications recommended following PICC line removal is ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication that has both antipyretic (reduce fever) and analgesic (reduce pain) properties. The recommended dose of ibuprofen (according to the Centers for Disease Control) is 200-400mg, taken orally every 4 to 6 hours. It is recommended that ibuprofen should be taken with some food or milk to avoid stomach problems

This includes eating a lot of iron-rich foods to increase blood supply and strengthen the body. Iron-rich foods include red meat, chicken, spinach, broccoli, shellfish, pumpkin and sesame seeds, and nuts like peanuts, pecans, pistachios and almonds. [5] X Research source If you/the patient has lost weight, you are encouraged to eat calorie-rich smoothies and shakes, which are full of nutrients, vitamins and natural sugars that will help one to gain weight in a healthy way. Instead of eating three large meals a day, the patient should be encouraged to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. This will help to keep their energy levels up.