Anyone considering a heparin or saline lock?

Question

Heparin or saline lock, is a small device attached to your IV catheter (the part that's inserted into the vein). This small device keeps the blood in the catheter from clotting, and it has a portal so your caregivers can plug tubing in at any time. You can get fluids or medications whenever you need them, but you won't have to be tethered to an IV pole in the meantime.

Answer

Why is this even a discussion? I’m a nurse and you have to lock your IV with something and 99% of the time it’s saline. If you don’t lock it your IV will clot and you have to get a new one. As a nurse we don’t even give you a choice. We have to do it. We usually don’t lock with heparin unless it’s an extra IV that we won’t have to use for >8 hours or a more permanent line like a PICC or central line.

Answer

It’s not a small device put in a IV catheter. IV is placed, if not in use they flush it and use just saline or for long term non usage they use heparin. I prefer heparin because I have had I IV clot up after 3 hours of no use. Heparin locks are even used on me when I have a high risk of having bleeding ulcers. I’m advised not to take ibuprofen even when not pregnant for risk of bleeding but have used heparin a lot when I had a central line in my neck even while pregnant with my son till 19wk. And had no side effects and no birth defects from it. It’s a little thing to sweat about and really wouldn’t worry.

Answer

I had a hep lock with my first. They never had to use it. Will do the same this time around.

Answer

When are you talking about needing this? That’s not really going to be up to you when you’re a patient in the hospital, it’s up to your medical providers to know if you need continuous IV fluids or not.

Answer

I definitely want to be IV pole free as long as possible during my birth so I can move around freely during labor. I think it's a great option.

Anyone considering a heparin or saline lock?

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