Oncology Nursing QI Project Shows Normal Saline Is Comparable to Heparin for Pediatric CVCs

Emerging evidence has consistently shown that flushing central venous catheters (CVCs) with normal saline is comparable to heparin flushes in the adult care setting, leading to updated guideline recommendations that include saline as an alternative. But to date, only two studies have evaluated the two options in pediatric patients, the older of which found increased complications when used in children with leukemia or lymphoma.