Travel with a Vascular Access Device: A Practical Guide

Having a PICC line, implanted port, or other vascular access device does not mean you cannot travel. With thoughtful planning, many patients successfully manage travel — whether a short domestic trip or international travel — while receiving IV therapy or maintaining a long-term catheter.

This guide covers everything you need to know to travel safely and confidently with your device.

Before You Travel: Planning Essentials

Get clearance from your care team

Before any significant travel, discuss your plans with your physician, home infusion team, and vascular access nurse. Key questions:

“Is it safe for me to travel given my current condition?”
“Are there any restrictions based on my specific device or treatment?”
“How do I manage my infusions and catheter care while traveling?”
“What do I do if I need medical care while away?”

Arrange care continuity

Your infusion schedule and catheter care must continue while you travel:

Dressing changes: Plan for where your dressing change will occur if you will be away for more than 7 days. Options include:
- Your home infusion company may have a network partner that can provide nursing visits at your destination
- An infusion center or outpatient vascular access clinic at your destination
- Hospital outpatient nursing if necessary
Medication delivery: If you are on home infusion therapy (IV antibiotics, TPN, etc.), contact your pharmacy well in advance. They can often:
- Ship medications to your destination hotel or family member
- Arrange a local partner pharmacy to provide medications
- Provide a “travel kit” with extra supplies for delays or emergencies
Lab draws: If you need routine labs (vancomycin levels, kidney function), identify a lab or infusion center at your destination that can draw and process them, or schedule draws before departure and again promptly upon return.

Documentation to carry

Prepare a travel packet:

Physician letter on official letterhead stating your diagnosis, the type of vascular access device you have, medications you carry, and confirming you require this equipment for medical treatment. This is invaluable at airport security and for travel insurance purposes.
Port ID card (if you have a port) — describes your port model and power-injectable status
Complete medication list — generic and brand names, doses, routes of administration
Emergency contact numbers: Your care team, home infusion nurse, after-hours line, infusion pharmacy
Copy of your recent lab results if relevant
Insurance information and any travel insurance documentation

Flying with a Vascular Access Device

TSA and airport security

Metal detectors and body scanners:

Most vascular access devices will not reliably trigger standard metal detectors because they contain minimal ferromagnetic metal (titanium/plastic)
Full-body scanners (millimeter-wave AIT machines) may show a vascular access device as an anomaly, prompting additional screening
Tell TSA officers before you enter the screening area that you have a medical device implanted (port) or an external catheter (PICC) — you do not need to show it, but disclosing it upfront makes the process smoother

Requesting a modified screening: You have the right to request a pat-down instead of the body scanner if you prefer. Request this before entering the scanner. You may also request:

A private screening room
A female officer if preferred
That TSA does not touch your device, dressing, or IV supplies unnecessarily

Helpful script: “I have a [PICC line in my arm / implanted port in my chest / medical catheter]. I would like to inform you of this before screening. I can show you my physician’s letter.”

For IV supplies and medications in carry-on baggage: The 3-1-1 liquids rule (3.4 oz / 100 mL containers) does not apply to medically necessary liquids. IV bags, flush syringes, and liquid medications are permitted in carry-on bags in quantities exceeding 3.4 oz when they are medically necessary. However:

Declare them at the security checkpoint before screening
Be prepared for additional screening (X-ray of the bag, swab testing)
Keep them in an organized, accessible bag for easy inspection
Have your physician letter ready

TSA Medical Notification Card: The TSA provides a notification card for passengers with medical conditions and devices. Download it from the TSA website (tsa.gov/travel/passenger-support). Present this along with your physician letter.

During the flight

Hydration: Airplane cabins are very dry, and dehydration can increase the risk of blood clotting in catheters and veins. Drink water regularly throughout the flight. Avoid excessive alcohol.

Movement: For long flights (particularly over 4 hours), walk the aisle every 1–2 hours when safe to do so. This reduces the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is elevated in patients with central catheters.

PICC arm: Keep your PICC arm comfortable. Avoid the arm being compressed by the armrest or window wall for extended periods. Straightening and gently flexing the arm periodically helps.

Carrying liquids in the cabin: If you are on home infusion therapy and need to administer a dose during the flight, this is possible but requires coordination. Discuss with your home infusion team well in advance — they can provide advice on travel-compatible delivery systems (elastomeric pumps, gravity systems) and how to manage in a confined space.

Medication refrigeration during travel

Many IV medications require refrigeration. Strategies:

Insulated medication coolers: Specialized soft-sided coolers with ice packs designed to maintain refrigeration temperatures for 24–48 hours. Your home infusion pharmacy may supply these; they are also commercially available.
Contact your hotel in advance to confirm a mini-refrigerator in the room, or arrange to store medications in the hotel kitchen’s refrigerator.
On carry-on: Frozen gel ice packs are permitted through security; standard ice may not be. Dry ice is permitted in carry-on in limited amounts (under 2.5 kg) with disclosure.
Consider the travel duration: for short trips with a single dose, a good insulated cooler and ice packs are sufficient. For multi-day travel, coordinate with a local pharmacy.

Never leave medications in a hot car. Car interiors in warm weather can reach temperatures far above safe storage ranges within minutes.

Road Travel

Road travel is generally simpler than air travel for patients with IV devices:

No security screening
You can bring a full-size cooler with plenty of ice packs for refrigerated medications
Plan rest stops to allow for stretching and gentle movement
Identify hospitals and urgent care centers along your route in case of emergency
If you are receiving continuous or scheduled infusions, plan rest stops to coincide with infusion times if possible
Do not drive while an infusion is running if it requires monitoring or frequent pump responses

International Travel

International travel with a vascular access device requires additional planning:

Medical care abroad

Identify hospitals and clinics at your destination that have vascular access or infusion capabilities before you leave
Consider travel health insurance that covers medical evacuation — standard travel insurance often does not cover pre-existing condition complications
Your country’s embassy or consulate at the destination may have lists of local medical facilities

Customs and medication import

Many countries restrict the import of certain medications, particularly controlled substances and some IV preparations
Research the medication importation rules for your destination country — your physician letter and prescription documentation are essential
Some pharmacies may not be able to supply specialized IV medications in some countries; arrange all supplies before departure

Time zones and medication scheduling

Crossing multiple time zones disrupts your medication schedule. Strategies:

For once-daily medications: gradually adjust your dosing time by 1–2 hours per day in the days before departure, or maintain your home time zone for medication administration during a short trip
For more frequent dosing (q8h, q12h): work with your infusion pharmacist to create a transition schedule
For TPN: your nutrition support team can advise on adjusting the overnight cycle timing
Write out your adjusted schedule for each day of travel to avoid confusion

Language barriers

In any country where you may need emergency care, carry:

A card in the local language stating: “I have an implanted central venous catheter / PICC line. Please do not remove it without consulting a vascular access specialist unless it is life-threatening to leave it in place.”
Translation of your key medical conditions and medications

Finding Emergency Care Away from Home

If you develop fever with chills, significant PICC site changes, or any other emergency while traveling:

Go to the nearest emergency room. Show your physician letter and explain your catheter and treatment.
Bring your complete medication list.
Request that the ER team contact your primary care provider or ID/oncology team before making decisions about your catheter if possible.
If your catheter comes out, is removed, or cannot be used, the ER team can place emergency IV access if needed; your home team can then coordinate the next steps.

Alert card to keep with you:

“I have a central venous catheter (type: _________). I am currently receiving IV therapy (medication: _________). In an emergency, please call my physician: [Name, phone]. Do not use blood pressure cuffs or needles in my [left/right] arm (if PICC).”

Device-Specific Travel Notes

PICC line

Protect the dressing from water and trauma during travel
Carry extra dressing supplies (transparent film dressing, securement strips, alcohol wipes, saline syringes) in your carry-on — checked bags can be lost
Remind companions and hotel staff not to displace or pull on the line

Implanted port (not currently accessed)

When not accessed, the port requires the least travel accommodation of any device
Carry your port ID card
Monthly flush must still occur — plan around travel dates

Tunneled catheter (Hickman/Broviac/Groshong)

The external lumens and exit site need the most protection during travel
Secure the external catheter against your body using a catheter holder or snug undershirt
Carry extra caps and flush supplies in carry-on

Packing List: IV Therapy Travel Kit

Physician letter confirming medical necessity
Port ID card (if applicable)
Complete medication list
PICC external length noted in writing
Sufficient medication for the trip plus 3 extra days buffer
Extra dressing change supplies (dressing kit, securement, CHG disc)
Extra flush syringes (saline and heparin as applicable)
Extra needleless connector caps
Waterproof PICC sleeve
Insulated medication cooler + ice packs
Small container of alcohol wipes
Emergency contact list (care team, pharmacy, after-hours numbers)
Travel/health insurance documentation
TSA notification card

This guide is for general educational purposes. Travel planning for patients on IV therapy is highly individualized. Always coordinate with your care team before significant travel.