There is much debate concerning catheters encompassing a “tapered” effect and if it is more or less effective in terms of avoiding thrombosis in the vein.
In the 2016 INS Guidelines it states:
Reverse taper on the hub end of the catheter, resulting in the largest outer diameter being inserted into the smallest vein diameter, is thought to be a contributing factor (top DVT). However, 1 comparison study between tapered and non-tapered PICCs could not find a difference between the catheter design, although the rate for both catheters was high. Trimming a PICC to a patient-specific length can result in the largest diameter of a reverse-tapered PICC inserted into the vein and has been suggested as a factor in DVT. 1,7,9-13 (I)
Therefore, when considering tapered and non-tapered catheters, catheter maintenance should take precedence over catheter design/features.”
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