Effect of heparin concentration and infusion rate on the patency of arterial catheters.
In a prospective randomized controlled trial involving 470 arterial catheters in 470 children, we studied the effect of changing either the concentration or the flow rate of a heparin infusion. Although catheters tended to remain patent longer with a flow rate of 2 ml/h rather than 1 ml/h, the difference was not statistically significant. Increasing the heparin concentration from 1 to 5 U/ml significantly prolonged catheter patency.
D001158:Arteries; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
D006493:Heparin