Specialties MICU
Published Mar 12, 2007
What are you using in your transudced arterial lines, a Heparized solultion, if so what is your concentration OR nonheparinized saline?
RedERRN
30 Posts
NS here
AliRae
421 Posts
We might just be the only ones using heparin!
Our art-lines and CVPs from our central lines get 3ml/hour of heparinized saline. We use a 0.5unit/ml concentration. The NICU-sized cardiac kiddos get heparnized saline as well but at a lower rate ... 1.5/hour, I believe. We mix our own bags for the big kids and pharmacy mixes our syringes for the little ones.
steelcityrn, RN
964 Posts
Yes. I agree ns is much safer, and thats all I have used.
GrnHonu99, RN
1,459 Posts
I advocate for switching to saline everywhere. It's personal with me. In January of last year, I developed HIT (heparin induced thrombocyotepenia).Because of the HIT, I STILL have a DVT that extends from mid-left subclavian backward and up the jugular and downward half-way down my axillary vein on the left.Also, I developed 3 subdural bleeds because of the thrombocytopenia and anticoagulation.All in all a heck of a lot to go through - just because I had a reaction to heparin flushes.
Because of the HIT, I STILL have a DVT that extends from mid-left subclavian backward and up the jugular and downward half-way down my axillary vein on the left.
Also, I developed 3 subdural bleeds because of the thrombocytopenia and anticoagulation.
All in all a heck of a lot to go through - just because I had a reaction to heparin flushes.
We use hep. too....we dont have a continuous drip or anything, ours are set up in a pressure bag, so the only time the pt gets the hep. is when we flush...its mixed w/ns not positive of the concentration though.
lifeLONGstudent
264 Posts
Our policy states we use heparin. IF pt has a reason, we have docs write an order to use NS.
I sent my ICH lady to OR a few weeks ago to get a VP shunt. OR sent her back with a heparin flush attached to her new a line. Thanks for the A-line, but what part of ICH (H as in H-E-M-O-R-R-H-A-G-E) did they not get? We quickly changed the heparin to NS.
Christie RN2006
572 Posts
Same here.
Kymmi
340 Posts
Just saline here also because of the increasing HIT population.
Christie and ELKNMin06---even though you dont have the pressure bags hooked up to a pump they are still getting 3cc/hr of whatever is running thru the line. The pressure bags deliever 3cc/hr to keep the line intact and then anytime you flush it thats that much more.
Guest193822
54 Posts
Normal Saline! No Heparin For Us! Risk of HIT to Great!
cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN
4,106 Posts
Ns for A-lines and regular flushes, Hep is only used for open-ended PICCs that aren't being used, and then we monitor their plt levels carefully.
BULLYDAWGRN, RN
218 Posts
For our art and cvp pressurized lines we mix 500units in 500cc ns unless pt has a specific condition that would require us just to use the saline pressurized bags. Have not seen any heparin thrombocytopenia as of yet.
cjmue12
47 Posts
We still use heparin in our flush bags. They are on pressure bags giving the 3ml/hr as mentioned. We (unfortunately) do not have a protocol to change to saline until their plts drop, or they have a positive Hep/plt antibody result.
ptadvocate81
120 Posts
Our pts come up from OR with heparinized solution, but once it runs out or is time to change it, we use NS.