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6 posts / 0 new

Tue, 08/28/2007 - 23:43

Leann Kennedy

Saline only for open-ended central lines

Hello everyone!

I received word yesterday that our ICU developed their own policy--they no longer flush a short-term central line with heparin, nor do they use a positivve displacement valve on the end of it.Â According to the RN educator, this is a new suggestion from AACN, which says a slow start-stop saline flush is sufficient to maintain patency (on unusedÂ ports).Â Is anyone practicing this at their facility?Â Does anyone have any articles they can share on this?Â Thanks in advance

Thu, 08/30/2007 - 01:02

lynncrni

There is absolutely no,

There is absolutely no, none, zip, nada, zero research to support the start-stop flushing method. This is based on theory and opinion. I would require that they show you their document to properly evaulate it. Lynn

Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, CRNI

Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.

PO Box 10

Milner, GA 30257

Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com

Office Phone 770-358-7861

Mon, 05/26/2008 - 14:03

Queenesta Marcu...

We are revising our central

We are revising our central line policies. Has anyone ran across any recent articles on how much and or how often to flush ports, hickman and groshong catheters. Thanks, Queenesta

Tue, 05/27/2008 - 16:45

smarison

WOW, I was always taught to

WOW, I was always taught to pulse flush, and have always taught to do the same. I know don't have any proof other then thats has been what I always did. We don't use heparin, currently are using positive presure caps and having lots of occlusions, even though teaching has been done, they are clamping before removing the syringe. We have trialed and looking forward to a neutral pressure cap.

Wed, 05/28/2008 - 03:20

(Reply to #4) #5

afruitloop

At my previous facility, the

At my previous facility, the last few years of triple lumens with the interlink injection cap--saline only, no heparin and no major problems.

Cheryl Kelley RN BSN, VA-BC

Wed, 06/04/2008 - 03:24

SMHC IVTeam

I am partial to placing

I am partial to placing Intimas for PIV's, the kind with the added (Y) injection cap. Blood backs up into that injection cap, and you cannot completely clear it unless you do a slow and deliberate pulsatile flush. You can watch the ever diminishing blood turn to pink, then clear as the pigtail clears. An example of turbulent flushing being effective-in this case, anyway. Just my 2 cents. Janet Brown-Wise, RN

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