Hello everyone.
I’m after any advice/experiences of travelling abroad with a PICC line. I’m having a holiday in Egypt for a week (in March) and although I’ve been abroad whilst having tablet treatment for secondary breast cancer I haven’t travelled with my PICC line yet.
I would check with your team. While I had a PICC it had to be kept dry and covered. It is inserted very near to your heart so risk of infection. It also has risk of blood clots. I also had to have it flushed weekly. You would have to be happy to deal with issues in Egypt and your team be happy for your to travel to that country.
I would echo Naughty Boob. If you haven’t been to Egypt before hygiene standards may shock you, although variable dependent upon whether you are staying in a hotel complex. I would certainly be concerned about getting the line flushed out and keeping your arm dry in such intense and often humid heat may be difficult. You absolutely do not want to get an infection. Probably not at all what you want to hear but it wouldn’t be a country I’d chose to visit whilst I had a PICC Line. The answer is, check with your team.
I just about managed to get away in the UK with mine but even that wasn’t easy to get them to agree to it. I had to get it flushed and then go away. Is there any chance of you switching to a port?
Consulting your medical team is key before you travel, but I’d also recommend checking options for comfortable travel. When I flew internationally with special medical needs, I found that a service like https://travelbusinessclass.com was helpful. They offer great deals and personalized support for flights, which could be useful for someone like you needing peace of mind and comfort while traveling.
You might also want to check your travel insurance covers this.