ideal syringe size for saline locks.

[dsgrandmarn]

Could somebody please tell me what size syringe is the best for med. administration and flushing a saline lock? Thanks very much!

[Binkey, BSN]

Could somebody please tell me what size syringe is the best for med. administration and flushing a saline lock? Thanks very much!

We teach our students that if the catheter is over 3" in length, use no less than a 10cc syringe to ascertain patency. DD

[nurse_drumm]

hi there,

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[color=#a0522d]for a saline lock (or whenever administering meds through a peripheral line) that is just that, a peripheral saline lock ( 3" or less), i always use 5ml syringes both for the flush, and for the med ( i always dilute my meds in saline, unless contraindicated).

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[color=#a0522d]for saline locks with a catheter > 3" (in which it becomes a midline or central line), we always use 10ml syringes just like binkey (above) does.

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[cannulation]

At our hospital we have ported cannulas peripheral, on which we use no less than a 10ml syringe, unless we have a smart site on (needle free access device, that has a short line that conects to the end of the cannula) which means we are not using the port and so can use a 5ml syringe. For all our midlines and central lines minimum size is 10 ml due the the pressure created by smaller syringes. I work in a hospital in the UK.