FLUSHING WITH NORMAL SALINE SOLUTION TO PREVENT VENOUS CATHETER PREVENTION: SCOPING REVIEW PROTOCOL

Introduction: Evidence shows that flushing with normal saline solution is sufficient in order to maintain permeability and prevent obstruction of central and peripheral venous catheters(1-3). However, the following research question can be asked: which frequency, volume of normal saline solution and technique used in each flushing in clinical practice to maintain permeability and prevent obstruction of the various types of venous catheters? This scoping review is justified in the need to map available evidence and gaps regarding flushing, and to subsidize the planning of clinical research or systematic review on the effectiveness of different solution volumes or of the frequency of a particular technique, with the aim of preventing the obstruction of a type of venous catheter, a population and/or specific context. General objective: mapping the available evidence on the characteristics of the flushing with normal saline solution (technical, volume and frequency) in order to maintain the permeability of venous catheters and/or for the prevent obstruction. Method: systematic scoping review in accordance with the methodology of the Joanna Briggs Institute. This scoping review uses the population, concept and context strategy (PCC): (a) Population: adult patients requiring venous catheter for drugs or blood products administration; b) Concept: studies with focus on venous catheters flushing with normal saline solution, with technique, volume and frequency analysis; c) Context: all hospital environments. This scoping review will consider quantitative studies, qualitative studies and systematic reviews, in the English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese languages, regardless of the year of publication. Studies that used heparin solution flushing will be excluded from the studies. Research strategy will include published and non-published studies in the following databases and repositories; CINAHL Complete (via EBSCO), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, OpenGrey, Scientific Electronic Library Online, LILACS - Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences, SCIELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online Portal de Periódicos da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes) and the Joanna Briggs Institute Clinical Online Network of Evidence for Care and therapeutics. The studies identified in the list of references will be analyzed for relevance based on title and abstract. The full version of the text will be analyzed when there is doubt about the relevance of a study based on its abstract. The objective, the guiding question of the revision and a data collection instrument, developed by the researchers, will guide data extraction. The full version of the article texts, analysis of the relevance of the studies, extraction and synthesis of the data will be performed by two independent reviewers. Disagreements between reviewers will be resolved through discussion or by a third reviewer. The following keywords will be used initially: Flush* OR Salinization OR “Maintenance of venous catheters” OR “Maintenance of venous catheter” AND “Normal Salin” OR “Sodium Chloride” OR “Saline solution”. Expected results: It is expected that the results of this systematic scoping review will contribute to improving the evidence about the technique of flushing and subsidise the development of a systematic review on the effectiveness of the technique, the volume and frequency for completion of flushing in venous catheters.