Can someone please tell me what a port is?

Question

I've never heard this term before. My husband goes to the hosp every 2 weeks for a blood draw. There is a sing that says 'if you are here for a blood draw from your port, please see receptionist'
I always thought a port was something a ship went into.

Answer 1

A port is a direct line into the body so you will not get stuck in a vein with a needle. some are exposed and sticking out of the skin and others are right under the skin. it is basically a tube in your body to take blood or give medication.

Answer 2

"Port" refers to a device which is generically referred to as a central venous catheter with implantable port, or "portacath".

Access to the venous blood system is most commonly obtained using an "IV" or intravenous catheter. This is a plastic tube that slides over a hollow needle. When the needle is inserted into a vein and blood can be drawn, the plastic tube can be slid over it into the vein and then left in place for an infusion of fluid over time. The plastic tube is preferrable to the metal needle for reasons of safety and comfort. This type of IV access is placed into a peripheral vein, i.e., a small vein that lies beneath the skin, well away from the heart and the central circulation.

In some situations, accessing the peripheral circulation is either a bad idea or is flat-out impossible. It would be a bad idea, for example, to infuse irritating medications such as chemotherapy into a peripheral vein because the vein would rapidly scar down and eliminate that point of venous access. However, if infused into a large diameter central vein, the irritating chemotherapy agent is rapidly diluted in the high volume high flow system, and the body tolerates the infusion without injury to the blood vessel. In other people, who have had a long history of medical problems and many many intravenous catheters, there are no remaining peripheral veins that are open. For these patients to continue to benefit from injectable therapies, they require central venous access as well.

There are a variety of central venous catheter devices. Many of them are for temporary use in a hospital setting and are not suitable for long term use. In order for a central venous catheter to be useful to a patient over a long period of time, there needs to be a way in which it can resist the tendency to be a source of infection from the outside environment. Implantable ports are just such a method.

A central venous catheter with an implanted port is a soft, thin plastic tube which is placed in a sterile procedure into a large central vein - usually beneath the collar bone, into the subclavian vein. The deep end of the tube is almost to the heart, within the largest of the central veins, the vena cava. The other end of the tube comes up almost to the skin. At that end of the tube, there is a plastic and rubber part called a "port" which is maybe a half to three-quarters of an inch in diameter and less than half an inch thick. The silicone rubber top surface of the port is placed beneath the skin. The port is hollow, like a drum, and is connected to the tubing.

When utilized, a special needle designed to do minimal damage to the rubber is used to access into the port through the overlying skin. Medication can be injected, or blood can be withdrawn. Because the port is accessed using sterile technique, and because it lives under the skin in a sterile area, these devices are excellent for long term dependable venous access with a very low risk of infection. If they do become infected, or if there is concern that they might be infected, they are easily removed.

I know thats more information than you wanted, but I can't do incomplete answers! ;)

Answer 3

a port is a semi permanent access into the blood system kindof like an iv but staysin much longer, for poeple who have to have multiple iv meds and multiple blood draws usually for very sick pepole, your husband doesn't have one,or you'd definately know