Efficacy of Normal Saline as Flushing Solution to Maintain Indwelling Arterial Catheter Patency after Cardiac Single Valve Surgery

Abstract

Introduction: Arterial catheters include radial, brachial, femoral, dorsalis pedis and axillary artery are used in the intensive care unit for continuous blood pressure monitoring, repeated blood sampling. Normal saline solution can maintain patency of arterial and central venous pressure monitoring catheters. Heparinized solutions had no effect on prolonging patency and improving function of catheters while the normal saline solution increases accuracy of coagulatory tests. Aim of the Study: The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of Normal saline as flushing solution to maintain indwelling arterial catheter patency among patients after cardiac single valve surgery. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Cardiac surgery of National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD), Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from July 2016 to June 2017. This study included sixty patients who underwent single valve replacement surgery and shifted to the ICU with arterial line catheter. The patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were divided into two groups- Group 1 (with heparin solution) and Group 2 (with normal saline). Result: In our study we found the mean ± SD of age among Group 1 & 2 was (36.3±6.7) & (35.7±10.3) respectively. We found 100% patients had arterial line patent in 1st POD in both groups. In 2nd POD 86.8% & 76.7% and at 3rd POD 50.0% & 43.3% patients had patency in Group 1 & Group 2 respectively. We found the mean± SD of platelet count at 1st POD was (206530±64441) & (212543±48768); at 3rd POD was (226517±60185) & (245957±52826); at 7th POD was (240517±57379) & (257713±53655); at 14th POD was (245850±52680) & (244337±56796) in Group 1 & 2 respectively which was significantly higher in Group 2. Conclusion: The use of heparin in normal saline for arterial line flushing does not significantly reduce platelet counts in cardiac valve surgery patients in comparison to use of normal ....