CITRATE ANTICOAGULANT UNDERLOADED SYRINGE FOR CATHETER LOCKING

摘要

A method and apparatus for locking a catheter using a citrate anticoagulant underloaded syringe is provided. In one aspect, a method of flushing and locking a catheter involves flushing the catheter, then aspirating the catheter to determine catheter priming volume, then flushing the catheter with a volume equal to at least the catheter priming volume, and finally locking the catheter with a citrate solution having a volume equal to 20% - 80% of the catheter priming volume, wherein the concentration of citrate by volume, relative to the catheter priming volume, is within known lethal pathogenic concentrations. Specific gravity of the citrate solution provides that the citrate solution will effectively mix within and lock the entire catheter priming volume.