0.9% sodium chloride injection with and without heparin for maintaining peripheral indwelling intermittent-infusion devices in infants.

The use of 0.9% sodium chloride injection with and without heparin sodium for maintaining peripheral indwelling intermittent-infusion devices (PIIIDs) in infants was studied. In this double-blind study, children up to one year of age who had a 24-gauge PIIID through which a continuous i.v. infusion was no longer running were randomly assigned to have their PIIID capped with 0.9% sodium chloride injection with or without heparin sodium 10 units/mL. PIIIDs were capped every eight hours if no medications were administered; otherwise, they were capped after each dose of an i.v. drug. The heparin group had 26 patients with 28 evaluable PIIIDs, and the 0.9% sodium chloride injection group had 32 patients with 46 evaluable PIIIDs. The two groups did not differ significantly in variables assessing the duration of PIIID use, reasons for removal of PIIIDs, mean number of cappings, irritant potential of administered drugs, or severity of medication-related irritation. There was no significant difference between 0.9% sodium chloride injection with and without heparin sodium 10 units/mL in maintaining 24-gauge PIIIDs in children younger than one year.