Impact of lock solutions on the mechanical performance of polyurethane central venous catheters: A comparative study

The impact of ethanol locks on the mechanical performances of central venous catheters was compared to that of aqueous-based locks. Several mechanical tests were performed to evaluate catheter behavior: kinking radius measurements, burst pressure, and tensile tests. Different polyurethanes were studied to assess the impact of radio-opaque charge and polymer chemical composition on catheter behavior. The results were correlated to swelling measurements and calorimetric measurements. In particular, ethanol locks have a higher impact on long contact time than aqueous-based locks: stresses and strains at break were lower, and kinking radii were higher. However, for all catheters, the mechanical performances remain much higher than the normative requirements.