Use of Normal Saline to flush central venous access devices
A nursing intervention that its practice at my workplace is the use of Normal Saline to flush central venous access devices (CVAD). I work at a hospital specialize in treating people that are severely affected by their disabilities. We have patients admitted for short- and long-term care. One of our patients currently have in place a Central Venous Catheter that is mainly use for her Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN). As a way to keep the line patent we use Normal saline to flush the line. However, during nursing school I was thought to flush central venous access devices with heparin saline (HS). Unfractionated heparin is well-known for its anticoagulant activity. Thus, heparin is widely used to maintain the patency of CVCs. Nonetheless, the efficacy of this practice has not been definitively shown. (Zhong, L., et al. 2017). Risks of using heparin may include increased bleeding or heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. In addition, the potential for nursing errors may be higher when lines are flushed with heparin. (Klein, J., et al. 2018). According to recent studies, NS is an isotonic solution, which is in accordance with basic physiological needs. (Zhong, L., et al. 2017). In addition, the use of Normal Saline will result in fewer side effects from heparin-related complications. After reading these articles I will continue to implement the use of Normal Saline to flush my patient’s central venous catheter in order to keep the line patent. Even though, there is Not conclusive evidence that show relevant difference in the addition of heparin to flushing protocols versus normal saline alone, the literature also suggests that the use of a normal saline flush may decrease costs and adverse events and improve safety 1- Please comment about this post 2- APA 3- 2 references within 5 years
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