Evaluation of the effectiveness of solutions for clearing neonatal central venous catheters: randomized study

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of saline, heparin, and vitamin C solutions in unclogging neonatal central venous catheters occluded by clots. Method: A randomized, double-blind, in vitro experimental study conducted in August 2022 with 90 neonatal central venous catheters occluded with blood that remained in a water bath for 8 hours. The solutions tested were: saline, heparin (50 mg/ml), and vitamin C (25 mg/ml), using a negative pressure technique. The variables of number of attempts and time to unclogging were evaluated in relation to the mean and standard deviation. For variables with abnormal distribution, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used. Results: There was no statistical significance in relation to the time and number of attempts to unclog the three solutions (p > 0.05), and the maximum time to unclog the catheters was 120 minutes. Conclusion: The three substances showed similar results. Thus, saline solution is recommended because it is considered safe, with fewer side effects when used in newborns.