OBJECTIVES::  This study aims to assess whether the use of the peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICC) is more effective than the peripheral catheters and the centrally inserted central catheters to short permanence in adult and pediatric patients, for intravenous therapy greater than 14 days. METHODS::  The PICO tool was used: adult and pediatric patients (population); PICC (intervention); other short permanence catheters, either central or peripheral (comparator); local and systemic infection, length of use of the device, risks related to catheter placement and maintenance, costs and work process (outcomes). Nine electronic databases were searched (including PUBMED, Cochrane, Embase and Bireme) and manual search. The screening of studies, quality assessment, extraction and analysis were performed by two independent researchers. RESULTS::  935 studies were identified, and after the selection, seven were included: three systematic reviews (two with meta-analysis), three randomized controlled trials and one cohort study. Most studies were published in 2013 (71,4%) and made in the USA (57,1%). Five studies compared the PICC to central venous catheter and two studies compared the PICC to peripheral venous catheter. The most analyzed outcomes were thrombosis and local and systemic infections by five studies. The PICC had longer permanence and lower healthcare demand compared to other catheters. Only one study showed significant difference in systemic infection. There was no significant difference in local infection.The main risk related to the maintenance of the PICC is venous thrombosis with a significant difference in three of the five analyzed studies. About catheter placement, only the risk of malposition was higher. CONCLUSIONS:: The PICC has specific indications that differ from those of short permanence peripheral or central catheters, being a more effective option for adult and pediatric patients who require intravenous therapy longer than 14 days, continuous or intermittent, in hospitals, outpatient and home care.