Effects of INR Levels on Bleeding Occurrences During the First 24-hours of Ultrasound Guided PICC Line Insertions

A sample of 127 patients with an International Normalized Ratio (INR) of 1.5 or greater, undergoing a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) insertion, were observed for bleeding at the time of insertion and for 24 hours post insertion. Over 60% of patients experienced no or mild bleeding at insertion. For an INR less than 3.0, fewer than 10% of the sample experienced moderate bleeding within the first 24 hours. No PICCs were discontinued due to bleeding. Results suggest that INR levels below 3.0 did not appear to have an impact on amount of bleeding during PICC insertion. After 24 hours, INR levels of 3.0 and above did appear to have an impact on the amount of bleeding.