Effect of Normal Saline Flush Versus Heparin Saline Flush to Maintain the Patency of Peripheral Intravenous Line among Hospitalized Patients in Selected Hospital at Trivandrum

INTRODUCTION: The concept of intermittent use of an intravenous (I.V) catheter began in the early 1970s, when a stopcock was added to plastic tubing on a winged needle. Almost all patients admitted to hospital require a peripheral intravenous catheter to provide access for administration of drugs and fluids and parenteral nutrition. Catheter flushing is the primary nursing intervention and to prevent lumen occlusion from thrombotic and precipitate cause. Some institutes use of dilution of heparin for this purpose, where as many others use of small amount of saline lock. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of normal saline flush Vs heparin saline flush to maintain IV line patency. METHODS: Study design was true experimental post test only design. Sixty hospitalized patients who having IV line were selected by simple random sampling method and divided into two groups. Group I (n=30) received 2 ml of normal saline flush twice a day after IV injection and Group II (n=30) received 2ml of 50 IU/ml heparin saline flush twice a day after IV injection. RESULTS: In the experimental group I post test level of patency of peripheral intravenous line the majority of the subjects 19 (63.33%) had mild blockage, 8 (26.67%) had severe blockage and 3 (10%) had no blockage. In the experimental group II post test level of patency of peripheral intravenous line the majority of the subjects 16 (53.33%) had no blockage and 14 (46.67%) had mild blockage among hospitalized patients. CONCLUSION: The study highlights that the level of patency of peripheral intravenous line after heparin saline flush was effective