A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Flushing Protocols in Home Care Patients With Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters

Evidence-based summary of preventive care for central venous access device-related thrombosis in hospitalized children

PURPOSE

This study aims to summarize the latest and best evidence on central venous access device-related thrombosis (CRT) in hospitalized children, which provides theoretical support for standardizing the preventive care practice of CRT in hospitalized children.

METHODS

Relevant guidelines, systematic reviews and expert consensuses were reviewed through ten guideline websites, six professional association websites and seven databases. The literature evaluation was conducted, and the best evidence from qualified studies was extracted and summarized. Furthermore, the best evidence was summarized through expert consultation and localized for the preventive care practice of CRT in hospitalized children in China.

RESULTS

A total of 14 topics and 68 best evidence were collected, including personnel qualification and quality management, pediatric patient selection, risk assessment, central venous access device (CVAD) selection and use, tip position, catheter maintenance, basic prevention, drug prevention, imaging examination, health education, nursing records, follow-up, CVAD removal and others.

CONCLUSION

In this study, the best evidence based on evidence-based nursing was summarized, and expert consultation was adopted to localize the best evidence collected. It is of great significance to standardize the clinical practice of pediatric nurses and ensure the effectiveness of CRT preventive care for hospitalized children, thus guaranteeing the safety of hospitalized children with CVAD catheterization.

Determination of pain experienced by children during intravenous bolus treatments and its causes

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to determine the pain experienced by children during intravenous bolus treatment and to identify what causes it.

METHOD

In the first stage of the study, the first 40 observations were performed by two researchers. The study was continued by a single observer after the Kappa test was performed. In this study, 101 drug treatments were administered by intravenous bolus in patients aged between 1 month and 6 years. The pain experienced during treatment was assessed using pain scales according to the age group the patient was in.

RESULTS

Pain was observed in 63.4% (n = 64) of the treatments. There was a significant relationship between the type of medication administered and pain experienced during drug administration. There was also a significant correlation between the age of the children and their pain experiences. Given the location of the catheter, there was no significant difference among the children who experienced pain during intravenous treatment.

CONCLUSION

Intravenous drug therapy may cause pain in children. To minimize such pain, it is recommended to determine the drugs that cause pain during intravenous treatment and to develop application protocols to minimize pain caused by these drugs.

Heparin versus 0.9% sodium chloride locking for prevention of occlusion in central venous catheters in adults

BACKGROUND

Intermittent locking of central venous catheters (CVCs) is undertaken to help maintain their patency and performance. There are systematic variations in care: some practitioners use heparin (at different concentrations), whilst others use 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline). This review looks at the effectiveness and safety of intermittent locking with heparin compared to normal saline, to see if the evidence establishes whether one is better than the other. This is an update of an earlier Cochrane Review.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the benefits and harms of intermittent locking of CVCs with heparin versus normal saline in adults to prevent occlusion.

SEARCH METHODS

We used standard, extensive Cochrane search methods. The latest search date was 20 October 2021.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials in adults ≥ 18 years of age with a CVC that compared intermittent locking with heparin at any concentration versus normal saline. We excluded studies on infants and children from this review.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard Cochrane methods. Our primary outcomes were occlusion of CVCs and duration of catheter patency. Our secondary outcomes were CVC-related bloodstream infections and CVC-related colonisation, mortality, haemorrhage, heparin-induced thrombocytopaenia, CVC-related thrombosis, number of additional CVC insertions, abnormality of coagulation profile and allergic reactions to heparin. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of evidence for each outcome.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified one new RCT with 30 participants for this update. We included a total of 12 RCTs with 2422 participants. Data for meta-analysis were available from all RCTs. We noted differences in methods used by the included studies and variation in heparin concentrations (10 to 5000 IU/mL), time to follow-up (1 to 251.8 days), and the unit of analysis used (participant, catheter, line access). Five studies included ICU (intensive care unit) patients, two studies included oncology patients, and the remaining studies included miscellaneous patients (chronic kidney disease, haemodialysis, home care patients, etc.). Primary outcomes Overall, combined results may show fewer occlusions with heparin compared to normal saline but this is uncertain (risk ratio (RR) 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51 to 0.95; 10 studies; 1672 participants; low-certainty evidence). We pooled studies that used participant or catheter as the unit of analysis. We carried out subgroup analysis by unit of analysis. No clear differences were detected after testing for subgroup differences (P = 0.23). We found no clear evidence of a difference in the duration of catheter patency with heparin compared to normal saline (mean difference (MD) 0.44 days, 95% CI -0.10 to 0.99; 6 studies; 1788 participants; low-certainty evidence). Secondary outcomes We found no clear evidence of a difference in the following outcomes: CVC-related bloodstream infections (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.08 to 5.80; 3 studies; 1127 participants; very low-certainty evidence); mortality (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.31; 3 studies; 1100 participants; very low-certainty evidence); haemorrhage (RR 1.54, 95% CI 0.41 to 5.74; 3 studies; 1197 participants; very low-certainty evidence); or heparin-induced thrombocytopaenia (RR 0.21, 95% CI 0.01 to 4.27; 3 studies; 443 participants; very low-certainty evidence). The main reasons for downgrading the certainty of evidence for the primary and secondary outcomes were unclear allocation concealment, suspicion of publication bias, imprecision and inconsistency.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Given the low-certainty evidence, we are uncertain whether intermittent locking with heparin results in fewer central venous catheter occlusions than intermittent locking with normal saline in adults. Low-certainty evidence suggests that heparin may have little or no effect on catheter patency duration. Although we found no evidence of differences in safety (CVC-related bloodstream infections, mortality, or haemorrhage), the combined studies were not powered to detect rare adverse events such as heparin-induced thrombocytopaenia. Further research conducted over longer periods would reduce the current uncertainties.

Nursing Interventions to Reduce Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Occlusion for Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of Literature

BACKGROUND

Cancer patients are considered the most at risk of the consequences of catheter occlusion. Therefore, nursing interventions that can effectively reduce the occlusion of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) lines must be identified to ensure a smooth treatment.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate nursing interventions to minimize PICC line occlusion and make recommended measures for preventing or decreasing occlusion and abnormal extubation.

METHODS

Studies about PICC occlusion that were published up to January 2017 were searched and screened in PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct (Elsevier), EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Chinese databases CNKI and Wanfang. Two independent reviewers screened the literature in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, assessed the quality of the included studies, and extracted the data. Further meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3.

RESULTS

Thirteen trials were included. Meta-analysis revealed that education for nurses (relative risk, 0.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.19-0.51; P < .00001) was significantly associated with PICC occlusion, whereas PICC type (relative risk, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-1.15; P = .12) was not significantly associated with PICC occlusion. The solution to washing pipes and the PICC insertion techniques were descriptively analyzed to reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSION

This study determined the correlation of PICC occlusion with the nurses' knowledge and skills, PICC types, flushing liquid and methods, and insertion techniques.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The findings of this study can serve as a guide for clinical work and for developing targeted measures to reduce occlusion.

Heparin flush vs. normal saline flush to maintain the patency of central venous catheter among adult patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Around the globe, protocols for flushing the catheter to maintain the patency of central venous catheter (CVC) vary by institution to institution or by practitioner to practitioner. Therefore, this review was carried out with the aim of evaluating the efficacy of heparin flush vs. normal saline flush to maintain the patency of CVC among adult patients.

METHODS

We followed the guidelines of Cochrane handbook for interventions and searched in MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane library, Clinical trials database, and reference list of related articles, which were published from Jan. 2012 to 31 Dec. 2018 in English language. We included only randomized controlled trials, and nine studies were included in this review. The pooled standard mean difference and relative risk were calculated by using Rev Man Review Manager 5.

RESULTS

We identified nine eligible studies with a total number of 3,113 participants. Consolidated results from eight studies conveyed little favorable effect to maintain patency of CVC with heparin when compared with normal saline as evident by risk ratio 0.83, 95% CI 0.50 - 1.40; P = 0.13. We also carried out analysis for secondary outcomes, and there was no evidence that heparin was better than normal saline in terms of safety except heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

CONCLUSIONS

Heparin has little favorable effects to maintain patency of catheter than normal saline but not in secondary outcomes. As the quality of evidence was very low, therefore, results should be comprehend with care.

Quality Improvement Initiative Reduces the Occurrence of Complications in Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are commonly used to access the central venous system. However, central vascular access devices are associated with a risk of complications, which may include infection, thrombosis, occlusion, or malposition. The vascular access team of 1 midwestern hospital used a quality improvement initiative to reduce the occurrence of complications associated with PICCs. A secondary aim was to reduce the number of alteplase (Cathflo Activase; Genentech, South San Francisco, CA) doses administered. After reviewing current evidence, the vascular access team employed the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle to document and implement changes in practice. By using a team initiative to investigate this issue, complication rates decreased and patient satisfaction improved. The thrombosis rate decreased by 67%, occlusions by 75%, and alteplase use by 87%. No infections occurred during this study.

American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Guidelines for the Selection and Care of Central Venous Access Devices for Adult Home Parenteral Nutrition Administration

This document represents the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) clinical guidelines to describe best practices in the selection and care of central venous access devices (CVADs) for the infusion of home parenteral nutrition (HPN) admixtures in adult patients. The guidelines targeted adults >18 years of age in which the intervention or exposure had to include HPN that was administered via a CVAD. Case studies, non-English studies, or studies of CVAD no longer available in the United States were excluded. In total, 564 abstract citations, 350 from Medline and 214 from PubMed/non-MEDLINE databases, were scanned for relevance. Of the 564 citations, 13 studies addressed at least 1 of the 6 guideline-related questions, and none of the studies were prospective and randomized. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria were used to adjust the evidence grade based on assessment of the quality of study design and execution. Recommendations for the CVAD type, composition, or number of lumens to minimize infectious or mechanical complications are based on a limited number of studies and expert opinion of the authors, all very experienced in home infusion therapy. No studies were found that compared best solutions for routine flushing of lumens (eg, heparin versus saline) or for maintaining catheters in situ while treating CVAD mechanical or infectious complications. It is clear that studies to answer these questions are very limited, and further research is needed. These clinical guidelines were approved by the ASPEN Board of Directors.

The 2016 Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice

Approximately every 5 years, the Infusion Nurses Society publishes evidence-based practice standards. This article provides an overview of the process used in standards development, describes the format of the standards, and provides a short summary of selected standards as applied to home care. The Standards are an important document that should be available to every home care organization that provides home infusion therapy.

Heparin versus 0.9% sodium chloride locking for prevention of occlusion in central venous catheters in adults

BACKGROUND

Intermittent locking of central venous catheters (CVCs) is undertaken to help maintain their patency. There are systematic variations in care: some practitioners use heparin (at different concentrations), whilst others use 0.9% NaCl (normal saline). This review looks at the effectiveness and safety of intermittent locking with heparin compared to 0.9% NaCl to see if the evidence establishes whether one is better than the other. This work is an update of a review first published in 2014.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness and safety of intermittent locking of CVCs with heparin versus normal saline (NS) in adults to prevent occlusion.

SEARCH METHODS

The Cochrane Vascular Information Specialist (CIS) searched the Specialised Register (last searched 11 June 2018) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2018, Issue 5). Searches were also carried out in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and clinical trials databases (11 June 2018).

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials in adults ≥ 18 years of age with a CVC that compared intermittent locking with heparin at any concentration versus NS. We applied no restriction on language.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently selected trials, assessed quality, and extracted data. We contacted trial authors to retrieve additional information, when necessary. We carried out statistical analysis using Review Manager 5 and assessed the overall quality of the evidence supporting assessed outcomes using GRADE. We carried out prespecified subgroup analysis.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified five new studies for this update (six prior studies were included in the original review), bringing the number of eligible studies to 11, with a total of 2392 participants. We noted differences in methods used by the included studies and variation in heparin concentrations (10 to 5000 IU/mL), time to follow-up (1 to 251.8 days), and the unit of analysis used (participant, catheter, line access).Combined results from these studies showed fewer occlusions with heparin than with NS (risk ratio (RR) 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51 to 0.95; P = 0.02; 1672 participants; 1025 catheters from 10 studies; I² = 14%) and provided very low-quality evidence.We carried out subgroup analysis by unit of analysis (testing for subgroup differences (P = 0.23; I² = 30.3%). When the unit of analysis was the participant, results show no clear differences in all occlusions between heparin and NS (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.08; P = 0.15; 1672 participants; seven studies). Subgroup analysis using the catheter as the unit of analysis shows fewer occlusions with heparin use (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.95; P = 0.03; 1025 catheters; three studies). When the unit of analysis was line access, results show no clear differences in occlusions between heparin and NS (RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.40; 770 line accesses; one study).We found no clear differences in the duration of catheter patency (mean difference (MD) 0.44 days, 95% CI -0.10 to 0.99; P = 0.11; 1036 participants; 752 catheters; six studies; low-quality evidence).We found no clear evidence of a difference in the following: CVC-related sepsis (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.03 to 19.54; P = 0.86; 1097 participants; two studies; low-quality evidence); mortality (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.31; P = 0.33; 1100 participants; three studies; low-quality evidence); haemorrhage at any site (RR 1.32, 95% CI 0.57 to 3.07; P = 0.52; 1245 participants; four studies; moderate-quality evidence); or heparin-induced thrombocytopaenia (RR 0.21, 95% CI 0.01 to 4.27; P = 0.31; 443 participants; three studies; low-quality evidence).The main reasons for downgrading the quality of evidence were unclear allocation concealment, imprecision, and suspicion of publication bias.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Given the very low quality of the evidence, we are uncertain whether intermittent locking with heparin results in fewer occlusions than intermittent locking with NS. Low-quality evidence suggests that heparin may have little or no effect on catheter patency. Although we found no evidence of differences in safety (sepsis, mortality, or haemorrhage), the combined trials are not powered to detect rare adverse events such as heparin-induced thrombocytopaenia.

Use of Electronic Tablets for Patient Education on Flushing Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of using an electronic tablet to provide patient education for flushing peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) as a way to reduce the incidence of occlusion. Eleven patients, newly diagnosed with cancer, participated in a pilot study that used a video on PICC flushing and remote coaching using FaceTime (Apple, Cupertino, CA) to teach patients how to maintain their PICCs in their homes. At the end of the 6-week intervention, no adverse outcomes (occlusions or infections) were noted among the patients who participated in the study.

Comparison between Saline Solution Containing Heparin versus Saline Solution in the Lock of Totally Implantable Catheters

BACKGROUND

There are only 3 studies comparing the efficacy of 2 different types of lock used in totally implantable catheters regarding occlusion or reflux dysfunction. The present study contains the largest published casuistry (862 patients) and is the only one that analyzes 3 parameters: occlusion, reflux dysfunction, and flow dysfunction.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of patients operated at a large oncology center and followed up in the outpatient clinic between 2007 and 2015. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the type of lock: the Hep group (heparine), whose lock was composed of saline solution 0.9% with heparin (100 IU/mL) and the SS group (saline solution), whose lock was composed of saline solution 0.9%.

RESULTS

The Hep group was composed of 270 patients (31%) and the SS group of 592 patients (69%). Regarding occlusion, there were 8 cases in the Hep group (2.96%) and 8 in the SS group (1.35%; P = 0.11); in relation to reflux dysfunction, there were 8 cases in the Hep group (2.96%) and 8 in the SS group (1.35%; P = 0.11); in relation to flow dysfunction, there was 1 case in the Hep group (0.37%) and 4 cases in the SS group (0.68%; P = 1).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding occlusion, reflux dysfunction, and flow dysfunction.

Randomized controlled trials in central vascular access devices: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Randomized controlled trials evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for central venous access devices, however, high complication rates remain. Scoping reviews map the available evidence and demonstrate evidence deficiencies to focus ongoing research priorities.

METHOD

A scoping review (January 2006-December 2015) of randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to improve central venous access device outcomes; including peripherally inserted central catheters, non-tunneled, tunneled and totally implanted venous access catheters. MeSH terms were used to undertake a systematic search with data extracted by two independent researchers, using a standardized data extraction form.

RESULTS

In total, 178 trials were included (78 non-tunneled [44%]; 40 peripherally inserted central catheters [22%]; 20 totally implanted [11%]; 12 tunneled [6%]; 6 non-specified [3%]; and 22 combined device trials [12%]). There were 119 trials (68%) involving adult participants only, with 18 (9%) pediatric and 20 (11%) neonatal trials. Insertion-related themes existed in 38% of trials (67 RCTs), 35 RCTs (20%) related to post-insertion patency, with fewer trials on infection prevention (15 RCTs, 8%), education (14RCTs, 8%), and dressing and securement (12 RCTs, 7%). There were 46 different study outcomes reported, with the most common being infection outcomes (161 outcomes; 37%), with divergent definitions used for catheter-related bloodstream and other infections.

CONCLUSION

More high quality randomized trials across central venous access device management are necessary, especially in dressing and securement and patency. These can be encouraged by having more studies with multidisciplinary team involvement and consumer engagement. Additionally, there were extensive gaps within population sub-groups, particularly in tunneled devices, and in pediatrics and neonates. Finally, outcome definitions need to be unified for results to be meaningful and comparable across studies.

Normal saline versus heparin for patency of central venous catheters in adult patients - a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Heparin saline (HS) is theoretically superior to normal saline (NS) for maintaining the patency of central venous catheters (CVCs), but the comparative efficacy of them remains controversial. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy of NS versus HS in the maintenance of the patency of CVCs in adult patients.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane library databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the use of NS vs. HS to maintain the permeability of CVCs among adult patients were included in our meta-analysis. References of relevant papers were reviewed manually. No language restriction was applied. Non-human studies were excluded. Pooled relative risk (RR) was calculated using a Mantel-Haenszel random-effects model. We also performed subgroup analysis examining the effect of the duration of catheter placement on the outcome. All statistical tests were two-sided using a significance level of 0.05.

RESULTS

Ten RCTs involving 7875 subjects (with analysis at patient, catheter, lumen and line access level) were included in this meta-analysis. Whether in terms of pooled or local analysis (RR with 95% confidence interval spans 1), NS can be equally, if not more effective, in keeping the CVCs open. Of studies reporting secondary outcomes (maneuver needed, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, haemorrhage, central venous thrombosis and catheter-related bloodstream infection), heparinised saline was shown not to be superior to non-heparinised solution. Subgroup analysis in patients with short vs long term CVC placement was consistent with the main outcome partly and in particular for maintenance of catheter patency in patients with a long-term placement i.e. >30 days, the RR was 0.97 (n = 6589; 95% CI = 0.76 to 1.23; P = 0.796). However, for patients in whom the catheter was in place for <30 days, the RR was 1.52 (n = 1286; 95% CI = 1.02 to 2.27; P = 0.041).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results of this meta-analysis, HS is not superior to NS in reducing CVCs occlusion. But in the short term, the use of HS is slightly superior to NS for flushing catheters from a statistical point of view.

Venous Access Devices: Clinical Rounds

Nursing management of venous access devices (VADs) requires knowledge of current evidence, as well as knowledge of when evidence is limited. Do you know which practices we do based on evidence and those that we do based on institutional history or preference? This article will present complex VAD infection and occlusion complications and some of the controversies associated with them. Important strategies for identifying these complications, troubleshooting, and evaluating the evidence related to lack of blood return, malposition, infection, access and maintenance protocols, and scope of practice issues are presented.

In Vitro Evaluation of Fluid Reflux after Flushing Different Types of Needleless Connectors

Purpose

To evaluate fluid reflux, when disconnecting syringe, for different needleless connectors.

Materials

Nine connectors were tested; 540 measurements were carried out.

Results

The connectors tested showed very different performances, about reflux, on disconnection of the syringe used for flushing. The calculated reflux volumes are: Max Zero® - BD: 6.90 (±2.47) mm3; MicroClave Clear® - ICU Medical: 6.14 (±1.46) mm3; Bionecteur® - Vygon: 1.24(±0.73) mm3; Neutron® - ICU Medical: 0.12 (±0.15) mm3; SmartSite® Carefusion: 33.51 (±11.50) mm3; Safe Plus® - Cremascoli: 23.54 (±3.56) mm3; NeutraClear® - Cair: 9.36 (±1.87) mm3; NeutroX® - Cair: 0.33 (±0.31) mm3; Dasa® BTC: 2.38 (±1.67) mm3. Differences between investigated devices were statistically significant (p<0.001).

Discussion

It is difficult to establish the best quality-price ratio for needleless connectors. It is important to consider several variable factors: continuous or discontinuous infusion, catheter type, usage environment and caliber of catheter used. It would therefore be useful to have an indication of the intraluminal space potentially affected by blood reflux in relation to a specific device.

Conclusions

Needleless connector is one of the main factors involved in keeping catheter patency. It is important to perform the best choice among the connectors available. An empirical reflux measurement, relative to the needleless connector and the catheter in use, can be obtained using an 18G cannula.

Evidence-Based Criteria for the Choice and the Clinical use of the Most Appropriate Lock Solutions for Central Venous Catheters (Excluding Dialysis Catheters): A GAVeCeLT Consensus

Background

The most appropriate lock solution for central venous access devices is still to be defined. GAVeCeLT – the Italian group for venous access devices – has developed a consensus on the evidence-based criteria for the choice and the clinical use of the most appropriate lock solution for central venous catheters (excluding dialysis catheters).

Method

After the constitution of a panel of experts, a systematic collection and review of the literature has been performed, focusing on clinical studies dealing with lock solutions used for prevention of occlusion (heparin, citrate, urokinase, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator [r-TPA], normal saline) or for prevention of infection (citrate, ethanol, taurolidine, ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid [EDTA], vancomycin, linezolid and other antibiotics), in both adults and in pediatric patients. Studies on central lines used for dialysis or pheresis, on peripheral venous lines and on arterial lines were excluded from this analysis. Studies on lock solutions used for treatment of obstruction or infection were not considered. The consensus has been carried out according to the Delphi method.

Results

The panel has concluded that: (a) there is no evidence supporting the heparin lock; (b) the prevention of occlusion is based on the proper flushing and locking technique with normal saline; (c) the most appropriate lock solution for infection prevention should include citrate and/or taurolidine, which have both anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm activity, with negligible undesired effects if compared to antibiotics; (d) the patient populations most likely to benefit from citrate/taurolidine lock are yet to be defined.

Conclusions

The actual value of heparinization for non-dialysis catheters should be reconsidered. Also, the use of lock with substances with anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm activity (such as citrate or taurolidine) should be taken into consideration in selected populations of patients.

Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Use in Skilled Nursing Facilities: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVES

To describe patterns of use, care practices, and outcomes related to peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) use in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Two community SNFs.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult SNF residents with PICCs (N = 56).

MEASUREMENTS

Information on indication for PICC use, device characteristics (e.g., lumens, gauge), and participant data (comorbidities, medications) were obtained from medical records. Care practices (e.g., frequency of flushing, dressing care) and problems related to PICCs were recorded. Major (central line-associated bloodstream infection, venous thromboembolism, catheter dislodgement) and minor (migration, dressing disruption, lumen occlusion, exit site infection) complications and process measures (flushing of PICC, assessment of necessity) were recorded. Bivariate analyses with t-tests, chi-square tests, or Fischer exact tests were used for continuous and categorical data.

RESULTS

Participants were enrolled from two SNFs. The most common indication for PICC use was intravenous antibiotic delivery. The average PICC dwell time was 43 days, and most devices were single-lumen PICCs. Major and minor complications were common and occurred in 11 (20%) and 18 (32%) participants, respectively. Occlusion (23%, n = 13), accidental dislodgement (12%, n = 7), and dressing disruption (11%, n = 6) were the commonest complications observed. Documentation regarding catheter care practices occurred in 41% of cases.

CONCLUSION

Quality improvement efforts that seek to benchmark practice, identify gaps, and institute efforts to improve PICC care and practice in SNFs appear necessary.

Flushing and Locking of Venous Catheters: Available Evidence and Evidence Deficit

Flushing and locking of intravenous catheters are thought to be essential in the prevention of occlusion. The clinical sign of an occlusion is catheter malfunction and flushing is strongly recommended to ensure a well-functioning catheter. Therefore fluid dynamics, flushing techniques, and sufficient flushing volumes are important matters in adequate flushing in all catheter types. If a catheter is not in use, it is locked. For years, it has been thought that the catheter has to be filled with an anticoagulant to prevent catheter occlusion. Heparin has played a key role in locking venous catheters. However, the high number of risks associated with heparin forces us to look for alternatives. A long time ago, 0.9% sodium chloride was already introduced as locking solution in peripheral cannulas. More recently, a 0.9% sodium chloride lock has also been investigated in other types of catheters. Thrombolytic agents have also been studied as a locking solution because their antithrombotic effect was suggested as superior to heparin. Other catheter lock solutions focus on the anti-infective properties of the locks such as antibiotics and chelating agents. Still, the most effective locking solution will depend on the catheter type and the patient's condition.