My pharmacist co-worker received a question from a hospital pharmacist that I'm going to throw out here. Unless otherwise ordered differently by the MD, we always flush ports with 100u/ml heparin. That is our policy in Home Infusion as well as the current hospital policy. One of our outlying hospitals was wondering if they could switch to 10u/ml for all ports and then not have to maintain stock on 2 different heparins. My answer was they need to stay with the 100u/ml as this is the national standard, and also the policy of the hospital. As I expected, I could not find that ONS or INS have stated a specific unit to use, but rather to follow hospital policy and manufacturer's recommendations.
I look forward to your feed back on this.
Thanks,
Ann Williams RN CRNI, Infusion Specialist, Deaconess Home Infusion Evansville, IN
I am discussing this very issue and new research today at 1 pm ET on our videoconference. Learn more and register on our website. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
126 Main Street, PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Ann, One of the oncologists here decided to go to 10u/ml heparin in all of his ports and after about a year and lots of clotting issues, went back to the 100u/ml. Valorie
Valorie Dunn,BSN, RN, CRNI, PLNC
If the thought is to eliminate one of the heparins, eliminate the 10 Unit/mL. At our adult hospitals as well as outpatient areas, we do not use heparin every time we give meds. We do use the 100 Unit/Ml with deaccess.
Janine Pritchett, RN-BC, BSN, VA-BC
Clinical Educator - Vascular Access