• L S Treas and B Latinis-Bridges.
• Saint Luke's Perinatal Center, Kansas City, Missouri.
• J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 1992 May 1; 21 (3): 214-9.

ObjectiveTo determine the efficacy of continuous, low-dose heparin infusion in prolonging peripheral venous catheter patency in neonates.DesignRandomized, prospective study.SettingLevel III neonatal intensive-care unit.Participants113 neonates requiring i.v. therapy.InterventionsThe neonates were randomly assigned to heparin (n = 63). The heparin group received 1/2 unit of heparin per milliliter of continuous intravenous infusate or intermittent heparin flush.Main Outcome MeasuresLow-dose heparin infusion does not make a difference in the duration of peripheral venous catheter patency. The incidence of catheter-related complications in the heparin group is the same as for those receiving no heparin.ResultsThe mean duration of catheter patency was 62.75 hours in the heparin group and 27.3 hours in the no-heparin group (p = .0001). The occurrence of infection, bleeding, and extravasation injury was zero in the sample studied. The incidence of phlebitis was 18 cases in 132 (13%) in the heparin group and 13 cases in 122 (10%) in the no-heparin group. According to chi-square analysis, the difference between groups was not statistically significant (p greater than .05).ConclusionLow-dose heparin infusion in peripheral venous catheters in neonates increased the duration of intravenous catheter patency (p = .0001) without increased risks of bleeding, infection, phlebitis, or extravasation injury.

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