Venous Access (also called central venous access) is a procedure that inserts a tube (catheter) beneath the skin into blood vessels. This process allows for blood to be drawn when needed or for patients to receive medicine and nutrients.

The tube that is inserted is called a Central Venous Access Catheter (CVAC). There are several kinds of CVAC including tunneled catheters, peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) lines, dialysis catheters and implantable ports.