PICC Line Removal — SecurAcath
Why a SecurAcath-secured PICC will not come out if you pull it, the video showing how it does come out, and what to do instead of sending the patient to the ER.
Watch the video before you attempt one of these.
The problem this page exists to fix
There have been multiple cases of nurses attempting to pull out a SecurAcath-secured PICC line and being unable to, because of the prongs.
Pulling harder does not work, and it hurts the patient. The device is not holding the line by friction — it is anchored, and it has to be released before the line will come out.
What is different about these lines
A SecurAcath is a subcutaneous securement device. Its anchor sits under the skin at the insertion site, which is why the line does not simply slide out the way a sutured or adhesive-secured PICC does.
Two practical consequences:
- These lines do not require StatLocks to secure them. If you are looking for one, there will not be one — that is correct, not a problem.
- Removal has a specific technique, shown in the video. It is not something to work out at the bedside.
If you cannot remove it in the home
In order:
- Stop pulling. Repeated traction on an anchored device causes pain and achieves nothing.
- Go back to the video — most failures are a step missed, not a stuck device.
- Call your Territory Manager.
Do not send the patient to the emergency department because you could not remove the PICC line.
An ER visit for this is avoidable, costly, and hard on the patient. It is also, from the agency's point of view, a problem that was solvable with a phone call.
Before the visit
- Confirm the type of securement before you go — SecurAcath, sutures, or adhesive
- Watch the video if it is your first SecurAcath removal, or your first in a while
- Know who your Territory Manager is and have the number in your phone — see Who to Call for What
- Have an order for the removal
After removal
- Confirm the catheter is intact and complete on removal, and document that
- Document the length removed
- Apply an occlusive dressing per policy
- Assess the site, and instruct the patient on what to watch for
- Document the removal and the patient's tolerance
Asking is the expectation
If you have not done one of these, say so and ask. A removal done properly takes minutes; a removal attempted by force costs the patient pain and can still end with the line in place.
See Supplies and Car Stock — the same principle applies to any procedure you have not performed recently.