Heparinised saline versus normal saline in the maintenance of invasive arterial lines in intensive care

Intr Maintaining the patency of arterial lines is essential for obtaining accurate physiological measurements, enabling blood sampling and minimising the time, expense and patient discomfort incurred by line replacement. HS is commonly used to maintain and prolong arterial line patency. In 2008, a National Patient Safety Agency alert advised organisations to minimise its use for this purpose following multiple clinical incidents involving misselection of heparin products. Use of HS is also associated with risks such as thrombocytopenia and haemorrhage [1]. Historical studies suggest that NS is equally as effective at maintaining line patency, although recent evidence has questioned this [2].