Question about NS and heparin drip

[mlauren]

My patient today was scheduled for a coronary angiography. He was admitted with angina and had a NSTEMI. He had a heparin drip, but also had NS running. My instructor was trying to explain the rationale for that while I was preparing the patient for the cath. so I didn't really retain anything she said. I know, bad nursing student. Could someone please help me out? I know it has to do with flushing the dye out of the system, but she was saying some other things that I didn't catch.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

how fast was it going/ They will prehydrate patient to assist with the excretion of the dye......many facilities ahve a policy that a titrated gtt must be piggybacked into another line so that there is always a line hooked up in the event the titrated gtt needs to be dc'd/stopped