Heplock with no IV running

[BillboSN]

I was just wondering what the purpose of keeping a heplock in when no IV fluid is running. Is it just so you don't have to start a new acces in case you need to run fluids?

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

let's say it's a hep lock with nothing running would you cap the port of the catheter? sorry for all the questions and hopefully im making sense

A heparin lock IS an IV catheter whose portal is capped off. Any IV device can be converted into a heparin lock or saline lock by removing any IV tubing connected to it all the way to the hub of the IV catheter and then attaching a cap. Then, you merely flush the device with saline to clear whatever solution was previously running through it and then instill heparin or saline into it to "lock" it. "Locking" means instilling a solution into the IV device so that it will remain patent even though it isn't being actively used.

[IrishIzCPNP, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

We call them adapted angiocath