Evaluation of saline for i.v. locks in children

A practice change to saline for peripheral IV maintenance was evaluated in a large teaching hospital in the Midwest. Subjects (N = 126) were children over 28 days of age, with peripherally placed IVs. Group I (n = 68) were children randomly selected to receive saline flush in an experimental study. Group II (n = 58) consisted of children receiving the saline flush after the change in practice was made. There was no significant difference between groups for either of two measures of IV duration. The mean duration of the IV from first flush was 35.38 hours for Group I and 44.09 hours for Group II; the time from insertion to discontinuation was 60.86 and 60.03 hours respectively. Patient age, site location, number of flushes, number of irritating medications, and site complications did not differ significantly between groups. The results of this clinical evaluation support previous findings that saline is efficacious for maintaining the patency of peripheral IVs in children over 28 days of age.