A comparison of how midclavicular catheters and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) perform when used in adults who receive intravenous antibiotic treatment.

Midclavicular catheters (MCCs) will be inserted as per standard clinical protocols in the Radiology department of the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH). MCCs will be inserted via ultrasound guidance using aseptic technique and the MCC tip will be confirmed with ultrasound. MCC insertion will be performed by one of the credentialled Registered Nurse PICC inserters who work within the PICC team in the Radiology department (usual practice). The RN PICC team insert more than 1000 PICCs per year. Only PICC inserters with > 1 year experience will insert vascular access devices for this study. Group allocation: A pre-test post-test design will be used, Initially, 68 participants who have provided informed consent will receive a PICC (usual care). After recruitment of 68 participants with a PICC, the study will transition to using midclavicular catheters for the subsequent 68 participants. Frequency and duration: Participants will be included in the study once; hence they will receive one vascular access device (MCC). The duration that participants will have the MCC will be determined by their treatment needs as decided by their medical team. At 8 weeks electronic medical records will be used to determine how long they had the MCC. Some participants may still have the vascular access device in situ at that time.