We are filling our catheter ports with 10,000 units heparin/ml + NS to fill volume. How much heparin is used in other facilities? Do you have data that shows that 1000 units of 5000 units is just as effective?

quote:

Originally posted by webbmr:
We are filling our catheter ports with 10,000 units heparin/ml + NS to fill volume. How much heparin is used in other facilities? Do you have data that shows that 1000 units of 5000 units is just as effective?

webbmr; we use heparin 5,0000u/ml to fill the ports. in almost all the caths we add 0.2 ml to "overfill" assuring the heparin reaching the tip. we have had a visiting patient use the 10,000u/ml but we had to acquire the vial. intermittantly we have had some clotting but then we bring alteplase onboard. hope this helps.