Heparin Versus Saline: A Comparative Study to Support Practice Change Within an Organization

This nurse-led research study investigates the comparative effectiveness of heparin versus 0.9% sodium chloride locking in blood cancer patients with peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either heparin or 0.9% sodium chloride locking for up to 7 days. Results show no significant difference in maintaining the PICCs' patency between the 2 locking methods. Additionally, heparin was associated with more side effects, higher costs, and increased nursing time compared to 0.9% sodium chloride. These findings support adopting 0.9% sodium chloride for PICC maintenance in blood cancer patients, aiming to enhance patient safety and reduce costs.