title: Determining optimal waste volume from an intravenous catheter.
abstract: Waste is blood drawn from an intravenous (IV) catheter to remove saline or heparin before obtaining a blood sample. This study examines the minimum waste volume resulting in an undiluted sample. A repeated-measures design was used. Investigators placed an IV catheter in 60 healthy adults and obtained samples at baseline and following waste volumes ranging from 0.5 to 3 mL. A random effects mixed model was used to determine the stabilizing point, which was 1 mL of waste. Knowing that only 1 mL of waste is needed will prevent clinicians from obtaining extra waste and discarding blood needlessly.
authors: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA. rachel.baker@cchmc.org
authors: Rachel B
authors: RB
authors: Baker
authors: Suzanne S
authors: SS
authors: Summer
authors: Michelle
authors: M
authors: Lawrence
authors: Amy
authors: A
authors: Shova
authors: Catherine A
authors: CA
authors: McGraw
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Khoury
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values