Could someone explain what is means to heplock a patient in the context of the healthcare setting/in the hospital?
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The term describes the use the anti-coagulant Heparin to keep an intravenous line open. This can also have bleeding side effects, and care must be taken to avoid injury as their blood won’t clot as well as normal.
The body likes to seal any puncture; so when you place a tube (e.g. IV catheter) in a vein the natural response is to try to form a clot. You use an anticoagulant (heparin) to help maintain patency and prevent you from having to frequently stick the patient to restart IV’s etc.
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