What is a saline lock?

What is a saline lock?

• A. A device that permanently seals an IV line.
• B. The cap that goes onto an IV insertion catheter, allowing you to stop IV fluids and restart later without a venipuncture.
• C. A medication used to treat dehydration.
• D. An implanted device for long-term IV access.

Answer: (B)

A saline lock is an IV catheter that is capped when not infusing and kept filled with saline to keep the lumen open. This setup lets the nurse stop IV fluids and reaccess the vein later without having to reinsert a needle. It’s used for intermittent IV therapy rather than continuous IV infusion. The line isn’t permanently sealed and isn’t an implanted device; it’s a reusable access point that’s flushed with saline (and sometimes heparin, depending on policy) to prevent clotting.

A saline lock is an IV catheter that is capped when not infusing and kept filled with saline to keep the lumen open. This setup lets the nurse stop IV fluids and reaccess the vein later without having to reinsert a needle. It’s used for intermittent IV therapy rather than continuous IV infusion. The line isn’t permanently sealed and isn’t an implanted device; it’s a reusable access point that’s flushed with saline (and sometimes heparin, depending on policy) to prevent clotting.