Re: Saline only flushes for central catheters

[KTMOHN]

In my own personal experience with an Arrow 5FDL PICC catheter in home care-I found that it worked much better to flush the PICC daily with NS and 2-3x/week with Heparin.  I think it does have a lot to do with being up and around and active.  Right after my surgery we had no problem drawing labs and infusing but when I went back to work (I was an IV Team member who placed PICCs) I found I had a lot of difficulty keeping the line patent for my weekly medication doses.  The patients were most intrigued with a Nurse placing a PICC who had a PICC--great for education efforts.  I don't have science behind me-just personal experience-and I think it also may have a lot to do with the caps-they always want to change them in home care-I got so disgusted I went back to the hospital and bought them myself to use and that helped my patency problems immensely.  I also know from personal experience that many patients "forget" to flush the line at home-with the visitors and the phone calls and not much energy-you just forget-I know I did.  Kathy Mohn-Las Vegas