Heparin Therapy

Excerpt

To the editor: Dr. Edward Genton stated in his review, "Guidelines for Heparin Therapy," (Ann Intern Med 80:77-82, 1974) that the amount of heparin anticipated for a 12- to 24-hour period is diluted in from 500 to 1000 ml 5% glucose or saline solution. Jacobs and associates (1) have shown that there is a rapid inactivation of heparin in solutions containing dextrose or lactate.

Since saline seems to be the only solution in which heparin is stable, its use as a constant drip would be limited in patients requiring sodium restriction.