Comparison of normal saline and heparinized saline for patency of IV locks in neonates

In this randomized double-blind experiment of 49 neonatal intensive care unit patients, probable time to catheter failure was significantly longer (p =.0358) for catheters flushed with heparinized saline (median = 127) compared with those flushed with normal saline (median = 39). This is in contrast to the nonsignificant difference (p =.841) in mean scores for six heparin-flushed catheters (M = 41.5 hours, SD = 44.0) compared with 18 saline-flushed catheters (M = 30.4 hours, SD = 20.8) discontinued for reasons other than completion of treatment. We concluded that survival time analysis is necessary when evaluating results of time-dependent studies in which the end point may not be elective.