During dressing changes of a PICC line, what should a nurse check?

• A. External length of the PICC
• B. Internal lumen patency
• C. Patient's blood pressure
• D. Color of the dressing only

Answer: (A)

During dressing changes for a PICC, you verify that the external length of the catheter at the insertion site matches the baseline. This helps detect migration or dislodgement of the catheter, which can move the tip and compromise therapy or raise the risk of complications like air embolism or thrombosis. To do this, measure the distance from the skin entry point to a fixed catheter landmark with a sterile ruler and compare it to the prior measurement. If the length has changed, secure the line, inform the clinician, and consider imaging to confirm tip position. While patency and dressing integrity are important, the external length check specifically flags catheter movement that could affect treatment.