Difference Between a PICC & TLC

Medical practitioners use different kinds of venous catheters, TLC and PICC among the most common, depending on the use, the method of insertion and which of these the practitioner is trained and permitted to use.

Uses

• TLC, or triple lumen catheter, is the standard central line phlebotomists typically use for one-time blood draws. RNs use PICC, or peripherally inserted central catheter, most commonly for giving chemotherapy and antibiotic therapy. Hospitals also regularly use PICC lines, however, when a patient requires frequent, scheduled blood draws. Additionally, RNs may use PICC lines for individual blood draws if and when a patient's veins are small or difficult to access.

Method

• PICC lines insert through the arm and thread into a large central vein. Blood may then be drawn regularly or therapies given consistently without having to stick the patient with a fresh needle each time. TLC lines insert into smaller peripheral veins.

Practitioners

• Phlebotomists are not trained or permitted to use PICC lines, as the procedure is more complicated and involves greater risks, so blood labs are more often left to use TLC lines. When a PICC line is necessary or a patient needing blood drawn personally requests it, they must call in an RN to take care of it.