Normal saline versus heparin for patency of central venous catheters in adult patients - a systematic review and meta-analysis

Table 2 The summary results of all 10 studies

Result	Primary outcomes					Secondary outcomes					Subgroup analysis
Result	Pooled effect	Catheter	Line access	Lumen	Patient	Maneuver needed	HIT	Haemorrhage	CVT	CRBSI	Short	Long
RR	1.21	3.00	0.92	1.66	1.33	1.24	1.33	0.75	0.81	0.84	1.52	0.97
95% CI lower-bound	0.91	0.89	0.71	0.85	0.86	0.71	0.09	0.32	0.50	0.11	1.02	0.76
95% CI upper-bound	1.61	10.10	1.19	3.24	2.07	2.16	18.54	1.74	1.31	6.71	2.27	1.23
P value	0.186	0.076	0.524	0.141	0.205	0.457	0.834	0.501	0.381	0.871	0.041	0.796

HIT heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, CVT central venous thrombosis, CRBSI catheter-related bloodstream infection, RR relative risk, CI confidence interval

ISSN: 1364-8535