I have no idea what the difference is amongst the differing types of IV lines you mentioned.
All I know is our daughter has been infusing Rocephin for over a year and she does a Heparin flush at each infusion and a Saline/Heparin flush on the days she doesn't do an infusion.
She has a slight allergy to Rocephin so her infusions go in this order:
Like I said, she's had the PICC line in for over a year and has had no problems with it.
Good Luck
Posts: 681 | From California | Registered: Oct 2005
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RoadRunner
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posted
quote:Originally posted by liz dobell: HI,
I'm due to start IV rocehphin (ceftriaxone) next week & am confused as to whether a heparin flush is needed?
I'm only having an IV cannula placed in arm & a new one reinserted each week. NOT a picc line or hicmann line.
My pharmacist insisted a heparin flush is absolutely necessary to prevent any clotting but my physician says not needed when only using a cannula -
DO other Rocephin users do a heparin flush?
are there any adverse effects to using heparin as its a blood thinner?
thanks - any help appreciated Liz
sounds like you dont need but using heparin will not hurt you it is just a flush. I flushed every time and I am fine today.
why are they put a new one every week this sounds expensive.
RR
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CaliforniaLyme
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posted
Yup, I flushed every day a few times because that is what they do in hospitals and my VN made me do it to be on the safe side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CLots can kill you- it is worth it and doesn't hurt in any way- heparin flushes I mean- so like Nike says- Just DO It*)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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beachcomber
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Yes, you need the Heparin flush IMHO. I didn't listen too well when I was being insturcted on how to flush and only did the heparin every 24 hours. My line got clogged, my blood clotted and I had some pretty bad pain in my chest. I had to have the first line pulled.
The next line was ok because I was told to flush with heparin every 12 hours minimum - no problems after that.
RoadRunner
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 380
posted
quote:Originally posted by visionoftruth: I currently cannot get insurance to cover the heparin flushes..... I just do 2 saline flushes...
heparin is cheap this is just not right.
pay for it yourself if you have too it is worth it.
RR
-------------------- "Beep Beep" Posts: 2630 | From ct | Registered: Nov 2000
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Cobweb
Unregistered
posted
quote:Originally posted by visionoftruth: I currently cannot get insurance to cover the heparin flushes..... I just do 2 saline flushes...
This is too scary. Are you taking aspirin or other blood thinners?
I am on IV Rocephin-going on 6 months. Not sure what cannula is, but I started Rocephin treatment with peripheral , temporary ,IV's reinserted every week-sounds similar.
finally got PICC line-which it is soooo much more manageable.
Anyway-from the git go with peripheral IV,and now PICC line- I do two heparin flushes EVERY day-whether infusing or not. And I do two saline flushes EVERY day, too-plus take 81 mg aspirin daily to prevent blot clots.
So it goes- saline flush, infusion, heparin flush /every 12 hours for 4 days,
then heparin flush every 12 hours for 3 days. Repeat cycle.
posted
I would flush with heparin. I was told with the kind of PICC line I received that it was unessarry to flush with heparin but my doctor told me to do it twice daily jsut to ensure that there would not be clots forming. You dont really want to risk something like that. I hope everything goes great for you!
Lindsay
-------------------- "One day at a time"
Current: -1.2 IM bicillin three times a week -1.25 IV Vancomycin every day -IV glutathione and IM B12 -Byron White since Jan. 2011 -ALA, Yasko protocal, Adapten-All, thyrosol, Pekano, phosphalipid exchange, probiotics, oregano... Posts: 390 | From FLORIDA | Registered: Jun 2007
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pamoisondelune
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posted
Before you start IV, it's very important to be tested for the Leiden V gene, for the P20210 gene, and any other coagulation abnormalities that could cause a clot. My LLMD has seen many people clot on IV, especially with the Leiden V gene, and other genes. Consider taking Nattokinase, which is fibrinolytic. Blood clots are formed using fibrin. On a blood clot forum, some members, who have survived clood clots, praise Nattokinase for preventing clots, though there's no official proof yet, I hear.
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Rianna
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posted
Yes, after every IV your venflon will need Hepsal a pre mixed Heparin flush for a peripheral line.
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posted
I can tell you that my mediport is supposed to be a "heparin free" port. Having had 5 PICC lines before the port, I was paranoid about not using Heparin, so I did - It couldn't hurt.
Earlier this week, my port clotted within a matter of hours. The ER couldn't do anything, and sent me home. My LLMD prescribed Lovenox, which is to be injected subcutaneously into the abdomen every day.
I only did one injection before going in to Interventional Radiology to receive TPA, but by the time I got there it was already gone. (We didn't figure this out until after a huge amount of torture - you can view my "Lovenox" post from yesterday for a photo)
I still have to inject myself every night for the next week and a half. We're on day three and the effects of the injection are already disabling to me. I am in such extreme pain right now.
My thoughts, use the Heparin combined with frequent bloodwork. You could potentially prevent what I am currently going through.
Good Luck with whatever you choose to do!
-------------------- Sometimes when I say �Oh, I�m fine� I want someone to look me in the eyes & say �tell the truth�
quote:Originally posted by visionoftruth: Well I found out what my heart pains were coming from. The Picc line was too far down confirmed with a chest x-ray. They pulled it back a 1/2 inch and I was having less problems. I had a long discussion with them about heparin flushes and the newer picc lines have something at the end of them that prevents clots from occuring. These are supposedly heparin flush free lines. Either way it cannot hurt to flush heparin through them so I will see about getting them from someone else... They do not prescribe the heparin flushes with these particular lines. They also checked my gall bladder while I was there to check for gallstones. I think they may still need to pull the line back a little bit because I can still feel that irritation but it is significantly less. So for anyone that doesn't know there are two types of picc lines these new kinds which supposedly don't need heparin flushes with newer ends on them and the older type where the tube is just cut and inserted which have to have heparin flushes.
Hope that last part makes sense she told me the name of the new cath's but I cannot remember it.
I thought I would add that my uncles in law's wife is a hospice nurse. She says that it is about half and half with what the doctors are writing out for picc lines regarding heparin flushes from Lyme to Cancer(chemo). She said everyone that has my type of picc line does not get a heparin flush because the tip on the end of it makes it hard for blood to come back into the tube therfore a heparin flush is not needed. The doctors prescribe different picc lines based on hospital procedures and practices and whoever has the old picc lines prescribes the heparin whoever has the new cath's they use those with no heparin most of the time.
That's pretty much the sum of it and she does this stuff all day long either way she said if you can get heparin flushes it cannot hurt you.
There is a big difference between heparin therapy and heparin flushes. Heparin flushes are very dilute and are not meant to be used to systemically thin your blood. They are only meant to keep your line free of clotting. Now heparin shots and sublingual heparin is a completely different story.
I have a Heparin free mediport, but here's a link to a post that summarizes what I went through this week. You may benefit from reading it if you're thinking about not using Heparin.
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