Rapidly insertable central catheters, catheter insertion assemblies, and methods

A rapidly insertable central catheter (“RICC”) insertion assembly, comprising:

• a RICC;
• an introducer including:
• an introducer needle including:
• a needle shaft including a longitudinal gap distally extending from a notch in a proximal portion of the needle shaft through a needle tip;
• and
• a splittable introducer sheath disposed over the needle shaft, the splittable introducer sheath including:
• a splittable sheath body sealing the longitudinal gap of the needle shaft such that a vacuum can be drawn through the introducer needle, the splittable sheath body including a sheath aperture over the notch in the needle shaft;
• a splittable sheath hub coupled to a proximal portion of the splittable sheath body;
• and
• a splittable valved port in a side of the splittable sheath hub over the sheath aperture;
• and
• an access guidewire disposed in both the RICC and the introducer, the access guidewire extending along an entirety of a primary lumen of the RICC, through a valve of the splittable valved port, through the sheath aperture, along a sheath body-covered needle channel of the needle shaft, and to a location in the introducer proximal of the needle tip.