Abstract
In geriatric patients it is often necessary to secure long term vascular access for intravenous drugs and infusions. A peripheral cannula or a non-tunnelled central venous catheter can however only be inserted into a vein for a relatively short time.
In the last 10-15 years, catheters inserted into the middle part of the arm has been used - midline catheter and peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC). In case of midline catheter, its distal end is in the axial vein, which makes it a peripheral access, while in the case of PICC, its distal end is in the cavoatrial junction, which makes it a central access.
Both these types of catheters can be used on a long-term basis, on the scale of weeks to months. In cases when these forms of access cannot be used, tunnelled central venous catheter can be another option to use.