Would someone please explain to me how heparin induced thrombocytopenia is not caused by flushing the catheter with high concentrations of heparin. (I thought it could) For example, using 5cc of 10u/cc heparin, as compared to 5cc of 100u/cc heparin will not be significant. My argument is that if a nurse is flushing a triple lumen twice daily, that's 3,000 units of heparin and I feel this is too much!  What is everyone else doing? And can HIT be caused by this? Or does the resident have to have problems to begin with? I need some help to understand this! Thanks!
Bonnie Gandy, RN, BSN, BA, CRNI
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