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Updated: Jul 8, 2026
09:57
A Protocol to Set Up Needle-Free Connector with Positive Displacement on Central Venous Catheter in Intensive Care Unit
Published on: July 13, 2019
How often should a port-A-cath be flushed?
Y S Kuo1, B Schwartz, J Santiago
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens, Weill Cornell Medical College, Bronx, New York 10461, USA.
Cancer Investigation
|November 25, 2005
Summary
Monthly port-a-cath (PAC) maintenance is excessive. Extending intervals between PAC accessions is medically safe, convenient, and efficient for patients and healthcare systems, reducing costs and patient burden.
Area of Science:
- Medical Devices
- Oncology
- Vascular Access
Background:
- Regular heparin flushing of port-a-cath (PAC) is crucial during treatment.
- Catheter maintenance requires evaluation for patients with retained ports post-therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate that longer intervals between PAC maintenance accessions are medically safe, convenient, and efficient.
- To challenge the manufacturer's recommendation of monthly PAC maintenance.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 73 patients with PAC insertion (1988-2002).
- Data collected: PAC insertion/accession dates, complications, flushing attempts.
- Analysis included Mann-Whitney "U" test for interval accessions vs. complications.
Main Results:
- Overall median accession interval was 42 days (mean 53.6 days).
- Seven patients experienced difficulty drawing blood, with average intervals ranging from 38 to 244 days.
- No statistically significant difference in complications between shorter and longer accession intervals (p>0.05).
Conclusions:
- Monthly PAC maintenance is excessive, inconvenient, and costly.
- Extended PAC maintenance intervals are medically safe and beneficial for patients, physicians, and healthcare systems.
- Less frequent PAC accessions are safe and feasible, warranting further investigation.
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