Are PICC line catheters better than other catheters?

PICC line catheters are not necessarily better than other central venous catheters, but they may affect the patient's activities more than other types of catheters, WebMD explains. PICC lines are central catheters inserted into a vein in the arm, whereas other catheters are placed in the neck or chest.

Tunneled catheters and implanted ports are the other types of central venous catheters, which are tubes threaded through veins to a spot near the heart for the purposes of giving medications, blood or kidney dialysis. Tunneled catheters and implanted ports are typically left under the skin to keep them in place and require less care than a PICC line.