The avascular access procedure inserts a flexible, sterile plastic tube called a catheter into a blood vessel to allow blood to be drawn from or medication to be delivered into a patient's bloodstream. A catheter may be used for intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatment and/or other medications, chemotherapy, long-term IV feeding, and blood transfusions. Vascular access spares patients the stress of repeated needle sticks and provides a painless way to draw blood or deliver medication.
