The following article is written by Brian Williamson, PharmD, is president & CEO of JCB Laboratories. It is reprinted, with permission, from the JCB Labs Blog.
As a dialysis professional, you routinely use catheter locking solutions to maintain patency in hemodialysis catheters for your long-term dialysis patients. Heparin has traditionally been used for this purpose. However, some of your patients will experience an allergic reaction to heparin or a more serious complication known as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Sodium citrate has been shown to be an efficacious alternative to heparin as a catheter locking solution. Additionally, some studies show that sodium citrate acts as an antimicrobial.
30-mL Multiple Dose Vials of Sodium Citrate 4% Solution Offer a Safe Alternative to Large Single-Use Bags.
Sodium citrate from a manufacturer is currently only available in 250-mL bags and is labeled as single-use only, which means only one entry into the bag is allowed. Unlike a 250-mL bag of solution, you can withdraw solution from a multiple-dose vial repeatedly and the risk of contaminating the vial is dramatically decreased. This means less chance of causing an infection in your patients.
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When choosing a pharmacy to compound sodium citrate, look for a proven sterile compounding pharmacy with a history of serving dialysis centers. Ask if they have experience in compounding sodium citrate. Are they a preferred provider for national dialysis groups?
Your dialysis center should consider the increased safety associated with sodium citrate as a catheter locking solution as well as the cost effectiveness and additional safety of a 30-mL multi-dose vial.
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