When using saline flush solution?

[pineau]

Dear all,

Do you always use saline flush before and after each drug treatment? Do you use it for other purposes?

Do you use it for all patients or are there some catheters that do not require the use of saline flush? or other circumstances that justify not to use saline flush?

Thanks for your help!

[RN in 10!]

In our clinic, we don't always follow each drug with a saline flush. But, there are some drugs that you do need to flush the line well before administering the next drug. Vectibix is one drug that comes to mind. Saline flushes and heparin flushes are also used on PICC lines and port a caths when the treatment is complete. Hope this helps a little!

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Yes, I always flush a line with saline before giving a medication... unless it's a rare instance where the med is incompatible with saline. You always need to flush the line to make sure it's patent before you give medication... especially chemo. I would never give chemo into a line that didn't flush with a good blood return prior to administration.

[RN in 10!]

I should clarify my earlier posting. We always ensure the patient's IVAD/PICC is patent and has a good blood return prior to hanging the chemo. If the patient is receiving several IV premeds and chemo drugs, as long as the solutions are compatible, we hang the drugs consecutively without flushing between. If there are drugs that are incompatible with the prior drug's solution, we flush, change lines and hang the drug.