End of life - is it necessary to flush the port?

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If a patient is near end of life (less than 3 months) is it necessary to flush the port?

thanks

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Yes...just in case the port is ever needed. When my husband was on hospice, he still got his port flushed at home by our hospice nurse every 30 days.

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You want to have a patent port when you need it. End of life often get to the point the patient can't take pain meds by mouth. Without ports, cancer patient get their meds rectally, not the best avenue

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Specializes in Operating Room, CNOR.

Heck yeah!! You want to be able to give pain and anxiety meds for comfort if this person has no veins left etc.

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Specializes in Trauma | Surgical ICU.

I don't care whether the patient has 30 seconds or 30 years to live, we always ensure that we do things the right way. Flushing a port takes very little effort to ensure that we have it when the patient needs it.

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