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Intravascular Catheters
Intravascular catheters are medical devices that are designated by the type of vessel they occupy (e.g., peripheral venous, central venous or arterial); its intended life span (e.g., temporary or short-term versus permanent or long-term); its site of insertion (e.g., subclavian, femoral, internal jugular, peripheral and peripherally inserted central catheter [PICC]); its pathway from skin to vessel (e.g., tunneled versus nontunneled); its physical length (e.g., long versus short); or some special characteristic of the catheter (e.g., presence or absence of a cuff, impregnation with heparin, antibiotics or antiseptics and the number of lumens). Peripheral venous catheters are the devices most frequently used for vascular access.