Flushing the central venous catheter: is heparin necessary?

Purpose: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the efficacy of heparin flushing in the lock of central venous catheters.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE and CINAHL databases. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials evaluating the use of heparin versus normal saline or other solution in the flushing of central catheter among adult patients.