Use of positive pressure with interlink cannula

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi there, I was wondering if any of you have seen or can recall any good articles on why we use this technique for flushing interlink cannula's.

I have to do a presentation on something nurses do in clinical practice (If any of you don't do this I would love to know that as well) and need 3 journal articles to support of refute this. I have looked on CINHAL and found nothing.

This is basicly to see if it is a resarch based practice or "just the way it has always been done".

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks as usual, you all are such great resourses, :kiss

Any other good Ideas for Practices changed based on reserch ? I had a hard time thinking of one.

Erin

bellehill, RN

566 Posts

Specializes in Neuro Critical Care.

Erin RN Student,

I have only worked in one hospital that insisted on positive pressure flushes for interlock cannulas. One hospital had a system that automatically applied positive pressure and the hospital I am in now we don't to anything except flush every 8 hours with 3cc of saline. I think the theory behind positive pressure is to avoid clotting off the cannula, but I don't think it is a good theory. I do use positive pressure when I flush heparin through CVC lines but that is and only because I hate it when they clot off. Let us know how your research goes!

look on the emergency nurse website and critical care nursing. Do not know the sites but have searched for stuff like that before.

RNsweetie

153 Posts

Thanks I will check them out and will be sure to let you know how it goes, thanks for letting me know your experiance in practice Belle.

Erin

P_RN, ADN, RN

6,011 Posts

Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

We were told that by the interlink detail man right before we started using them. I think it was to rid dead air space in the cap.

http://www.bd.com/safety/products/infusion/pdfs/posiflow.pdf

Here's the Interlink BD site.

tinkerbelle

5 Posts

Interesting point for student nurses to look into.

RNsweetie

153 Posts

Thanks for the info, I am having such a hard time finding research based articles with regard to this subject I may have to change this topic. We are required to have 3 evidenced based research articles to support this practice, and I can't find any ...... Thanks I will keep looking though, keep the great suggestions comming.

Thanks Erin

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