European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Normal saline versus heparin solution to lock totally implanted venous access devices: Results from a multicenter randomized trial.
Our aim was to determine the non-inferiority of normal saline flushing compared to heparin flushing in maintaining the patency of totally implanted venous access devices (TIVADs). ⋯ This study failed to demonstrate that normal saline flushing is not inferior to heparin flushing, even if a significant difference between the two treatments was not found. The use of heparin is controversial and other prospective trials are necessary in this field.