title: Randomized controlled trial of heparin for prevention of blockage of peripherally inserted central catheters in neonates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the addition of heparin to total parenteral nutrition (TPN) fluid would prevent blockage of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) in neonates.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized, double-blind, controlled study of 66 eligible neonates with PICCs inserted for the administration of TPN. Infants were randomized to receive TPN containing either 1 IU ml(-1) of heparin (n = 35) or no heparin (n = 31).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in the incidence of blocked catheters between the two groups of infants (heparin: 14.3%; no-heparin: 22.6%, p = 0.4). Although a higher percentage (62.9%) of infants in the heparin group received a complete course of TPN successfully via PICC than those in the no-heparin group (48.4%), the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.3). There were no significant differences in the incidence of catheter-related sepsis, hypertriglyceridaemia, hyperbilirubinaemia, coagulopathy or intraventricular haemorrhage between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Addition of heparin to TPN fluid was not associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of blocked PICCs. However, the sample size of this study was too small to exclude even rather marked differences between the groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kamala
authors.forename: N Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Boo
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Cheah
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Birinder
mesh_terms: D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total / Q000295:instrumentation; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin