Immediate post-insertion tip migration of peripherally inserted central catheters dependent on arm position and depth of inspiration.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to assess the degree of PICC tip migration with breathing and arm movement to determine whether accurate positioning is feasible or futile.

Methods: A prospective cohort of 218 consecutive patients undergoing PICC insertion at our institution between January and August 2015 was selected, of which 129 met inclusion criteria. The position of insertion was used as control with the arm at 90° during inspiration, followed by three study images: expiration with arm unchanged, inspiration with arm fully adducted and inspiration with arm fully abducted.