Table 1.

Catheter clearing procedure

Catheter Clearing	Fit a sterile 3-way stopcock with a sterile 3 mL sample syringe (syringe #1) and 5 mL waste syringe (syringe #2), primed with normal saline Connect the apparatus to the catheter via a needless hub aseptically; the catheter valves should be set to the “off” position Connect a sterile 5 mL syringe (syringe #3) to the third and inline end of the 3-way stopcock for normal saline flush. Syringe should be pre-filled with 5 mL normal saline Open the distal stopcock value to syringe #2 Draw back mL of blood and then return to the patient over 3-5 seconds. Repeat 4 times. Do not return blood if there is any resistance or clots noted in the syringe. Close the stopcock valve on syringe #2 and open the valve to syringe #3 Infuse 2 mL of normal saline through syringe #3 Close stopcock valve on syringe #3 and open the valve to syringe #2 Draw back 5 mL of blood and hold in syringe #2 Close stopcock valve on syringe #2 and open the valve to syringe #1 Draw 2.5 mL of blood into syringe #1 as the final sample Close stopcock valve on syringe #1 and open the valve to syringe #2 Return the blood in syringe #2 back to the patient Close stopcock valve on syringe #2 and open the valve to syringe #3 Infuse the remaining 3 mL of normal saline through syringe #3 Remove syringe #1 and transfer blood sample into a green top (sodium heparin) blood collection tube
Catheter clearing procedure for double lumen catheters
Samples may be obtained from either the dosing or the non-dosing lumen. In both cases, the above clearing procedure for a single catheter should be followed.