Vascular Access Devices: A Patient's Perspective

Various vascular access devices are available and widely used in the hospital and home setting for the treatment of patients with acute and chronic illnesses. Many cancer patients, in particular, require Short- or long-term central venous access for the intravenous administration of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, blood products, antibiotics, total parental nutrition, and other medications. This author, a breast cancer survivor and a nurse, examines the benefits and drawbacks of venous access devices, the satisfaction and dissatisfaction with their use, and the effects these devices have on treatment and quality of life from a patients perspective.