Practice Test Geeks(VABC) Vascular Access Board Certification Practice Test
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Catheter Types Flashcards

7 cards from real VABC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. What is the primary advantage of a power-injectable PICC over a standard PICC?

    Answer: It is rated to withstand high-pressure contrast injection for CT scans

    Power-injectable PICCs are constructed to tolerate high flow rates and pressures used during CT contrast injection, eliminating the need for a separate peripheral IV for imaging.

  2. An umbilical arterial catheter (UAC) tip should ideally be positioned at which vertebral level?

    Answer: T6-T9 (high position) or L3-L4 (low position)

    UAC placement uses either a high position (T6-T9, above the celiac axis) or a low position (L3-L4, below the renal arteries) to avoid major vessel origins.

  3. Which catheter type is characterized by an open-ended tip that requires routine heparin flushing to maintain patency?

    Answer: Standard non-valved CVC or PICC

    Standard non-valved CVCs and PICCs have open-ended tips that allow blood to reflux into the lumen, requiring heparin flushes to prevent clot formation.

  4. A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) tip should be confirmed at which anatomical location before use?

    Answer: Cavoatrial junction or distal superior vena cava

    PICC tips must be confirmed at the cavoatrial junction or distal SVC by chest X-ray or other imaging to ensure central placement before use.

  5. Which catheter is most commonly used for long-term total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in a home care setting?

    Answer: Tunneled cuffed catheter (e.g., Hickman)

    Tunneled cuffed catheters like the Hickman are preferred for home TPN because the Dacron cuff anchors the catheter and reduces infection risk over months to years.

  6. What material property of silicone catheters makes them preferred over polyurethane for certain long-term applications?

    Answer: Higher biocompatibility and softer flexibility reducing vessel wall trauma

    Silicone is highly biocompatible, soft, and flexible, reducing mechanical trauma to the vessel endothelium and making it suitable for long-term implanted access devices.

  7. Which vascular access device is entirely implanted under the skin with no external component when not accessed?

    Answer: Implanted venous port (Port-a-Cath)

    Implanted venous ports are completely subcutaneous, with a reservoir accessed percutaneously through the skin using a non-coring (Huber) needle.