Effects of Normal Saline for Maintenance of Arterial Lines of Surgical Patients

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of saline solution vs. heparinized-saline for maintenance of arterial lines and to detect changes in platelet and aPTT as physiological indexes. METHODS: In this nonequivalent control group, non-synchronized, double-blind study the effects of heparinized and saline solution on the maintenance of arterial lines were compared. Fifty five patients received the heparinized solution and fifty nine patients received the saline solution. All patients who had surgery in K-university hospital between September and December 2011 were eligible for participation in the study. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the saline and the heparin group in the maintenance time of the arterial lines or the number of irrigations. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in changes in the number of platelets and aPTT for interaction between the groups and time intervals. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that saline solution can be used as an irrigation solution for the maintenance of arterial lines of adult surgical patients, rather than heparinized-saline, in view of potential risk factors in the use of heparin.

Reducción postintervención de las bacteriemias relacionadas a líneas vasculares en Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátrica y Neonatal / Post intervention reduction of bacteremias related to vascular catheters into Neonatal and Pediatrics Intensive Care

Introducción. La bacteriemia relacionada a línea vascular (BRLV) es una de las principales complicaciones en los pacientes a quienes se les instala un catéter intravascular. Las acciones educativas han mostrado disminución en la tasa de BRLV en diferentes estudios. Objetivos: conocer la tasa de BRLV en las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátrica y Neonatal de un hospital general, implementar las acciones preventivas y cuantificar el impacto. Métodos. Se comparó la tasa de BRLV, antes y después de una intervención educativa, en un grupo de pacientes con edades desde recién nacidos hasta 15 años. La tasa de BRLV se obtuvo dividiendo el número de éstas entre el número de días-catéter y se multiplicó por 1 000. El diagnóstico de BRLV se basó en la definición de la Norma Oficial Mexicana del año 2005 para bacteriemia relacionada a línea y terapia intravascular. Resultados. En el primer período se encontraron 25 casos de BRLV en 2 280 días-catéter con una tasa 10.9 x 1 000 días-catéter; después de las acciones educativas se presentaron 16 BRLV en 2 850 días-catéter y la tasa disminuyó a 5.6, con una P de 0.001. Conclusiones. Las acciones educativas para disminuir la tasa de BRLV fueron efectivas.

Introduction. Intravascular catheter-related infection is the major complication in patients with intravascular catheter. Intravascular catheter-related infection rate is derived by dividing the number of these infections between day-line vascular catheters and multiplied x 1 000. The rates have been reported to be as high as 11.3 x 1 000 catheter-days, increasing hospitalization days, morbidity and mortality. Educational initiatives decrease the rate of intravascular catheter-related infections according to different studies. We undertook this study to determine the rate of intravascular catheter-related infections in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units in a general hospital, as well as to establish preventive educational actions and quantify their impact. Methods. We compared the rate of intravascular catheter-related infections before and after an educational intervention. Results. During the first period, we found 25 intravascular catheter-related infections in 2 280 catheter-days with a rate of 10.9 x 1 000 catheter-days. Following the educational initiatives, we found 16 intravascular catheter-related infections in 2 850 catheter-days and the rate decreased to 5.6, which was statistically significant. Conclusions. Educational initiatives aimed at decreasing the rate of intravascular catheter-related infections were shown to be effective.