Cochrane · systematic review · CD010996

Normal saline (0.9% sodium chloride) versus heparin intermittent flushing for the prevention of occlusion in long‐term central venous catheters in infants and children

Bradford, NK, Edwards, RM, Chan, RJ · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2020 · Cochrane Library

Vascular2 versionsAMSTAR 2: not assessed

SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.

Questions

current version

GRADE rated

No studies

Included studies

No studies 0 · 0%Ungraded 0 · 0%Very low 1 · 33.3%Low 1 · 33.3%Moderate 1 · 33.3%High 0 · 0%

Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.

Questions and results

Current version only

Does normal saline flushing in long‐term central venous catheters (CVC) prevent occlusion compared to heparin flushing in infants and children?

Population: infants and children with a long‐term CVC

CD010996.PUB3 (current) · 3 questions

Outcome	Effect	Evidence	Status / GRADE
CVC occlusion rate per 1000 catheter days: ability to infuse solution through CVC Does normal saline flushing in long‐term central venous catheters (CVC) prevent occlusion vs heparin flushing	Rate ratio 0.75 [0.1, 5.51]	2 studies · 229 participants	Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, inconsistency
CVC‐associated blood stream infection rate per 1000 catheter days: incidence of positive blood culture Does normal saline flushing in long‐term central venous catheters (CVC) prevent occlusion vs heparin flushing	Rate ratio 1.48 [0.24, 9.37]	2 studies · 231 participants	Low Downgraded: risk of bias
Duration of CVC placement (days) Does normal saline flushing in long‐term central venous catheters (CVC) prevent occlusion vs heparin flushing	no estimate extracted	1 study · 203 participants	Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias

Heparin versus normal saline flushing for prevention of occlusion in long term central venous catheters in infants and children

Population: Infants and children with a long term central venous catheter

CD010996.PUB2 · 2 questions

Outcome	Effect	Evidence	Status / GRADE
CVC occlusion rate per 1000 catheter days Ability to infuse solution through CVC Heparin vs normal saline flushing	Rate ratio 0.75 [0.1, 5.51]	2 studies · 229 participants	Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, inconsistency
CVC‐associated blood stream infection rate per 1000 catheter days Incidence of positive blood culture Heparin vs normal saline flushing	Rate ratio 1.48 [0.24, 9.37]	2 studies · 231 participants	Low Downgraded: risk of bias