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I was thinking about the very same question yesterday and this was my thoughts.  I have never read anything regarding your question however, theoretically, the lumens are seperate, any cathflo entering the vien would be very quickly diluted (providing the tip is in the correct location), you will with draw the cathflo when done, so I can see no reason to avoid using the other lumen.  Lynn.  Do you know of any evidence against or for this practice?

Valorie

 I don't know of any evidence but have not looked for any either. If the open lumen has an ongoing infusion, there could be contact between this drug and the overflow of the tPA instillation. If there is not documented compatibility between the infusing drug and tPA, there could be a drug precipitate form at or near the catheter tip. When you aspirate the tPA from the lumen, you would also be aspirating the infusing drug and again a precipatate could form if there is no documeted compatibility. Those are the issues I thought about. Lynn

Another issue that I have thought about is if there is a fibrin sheath, how would fluid flowing through another lumen during tpa dwell affect its ability to dissolve the sheath?  We know the sheath will not dissolve instantly; yet if fluid is flowing from another lumen, will it rinse away the tpa that may be dwelling extraluminally inside the fibrin sheath?  Just a thought.