Does anyone know of any "best practice" articles or research related to the use or non-use of Heparin flushes with PICCs/CVCs. Thanks, Cindy Hunchusky,RN,CRNI/PICC Team-THHMFW
There are numerous articles on this issue, too many to list here. To me, the bottom line is that normal saline alone is not sufficient to maintain patency and we can not eliminate heparin yet as there is no alternative solution in a single-use container yet. There is an alternative solution in a prefilled syringe in Canada now, but it will be several more years before we see it here. This is 4% sodium citrate and 30% ethanol in a prefilled syringe. Lynn
There are numerous articles on this issue, too many to list here. To me, the bottom line is that normal saline alone is not sufficient to maintain patency and we can not eliminate heparin yet as there is no alternative solution in a single-use container yet. There is an alternative solution in a prefilled syringe in Canada now, but it will be several more years before we see it here. This is 4% sodium citrate and 30% ethanol in a prefilled syringe. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Thanks Lynn for responding. Cindy
Cindy Hunchusky, BSN, RN, CRNI