Loading
A small volume of liquid left inside a central line or port between uses to stop it clotting and, in some products, to kill bacteria. The one American antimicrobial lock approved so far is licensed only for kidney dialysis lines, not cancer lines.
Between uses a central line or port is filled with a lock solution so blood does not clot in it. DefenCath, a combination of taurolidine, an antimicrobial, and heparin, was approved by the FDA on 15 November 2023 (NDA 214520, CorMedix). Its label limits it: "LIMITED POPULATION: DEFENCATH is indicated to reduce the incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) in adult patients with kidney failure receiving chronic hemodialysis (HD) through a central venous catheter (CVC)", and "The safety and effectiveness of DEFENCATH have not been established for use in populations other than" those patients. For cancer ports and PICCs, any antimicrobial lock is therefore off-label in the United States; this record does not grade the oncology evidence.
The catheter's internal volume is filled and left closed; an anticoagulant prevents clot and an antimicrobial agent reduces bacterial colonisation of the catheter lumen.
Query for this technology: (TITLE:"Catheter lock solutions" OR ABSTRACT:"Catheter lock solutions" OR TITLE:"heparin, taurolidine and DefenCath" OR ABSTRACT:"heparin, taurolidine and DefenCath" OR TITLE:"Lock solution" OR ABSTRACT:"Lock solution" OR TITLE:"Catheter lock" OR ABSTRACT:"Catheter lock") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Catheter lock solutions (heparin, taurolidine and DefenCath), not a curated reading list.
Shares Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), Implanted ports for chemotherapy (port-a-cath, power-injectable, apheresis and intraperitoneal ports), Infusion pumps, ports, and ambulatory chemotherapy devices, Central venous access (port, PICC line) and the tag devices-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), Infusion pumps, ports, and ambulatory chemotherapy devices, Central venous access (port, PICC line) and the tag devices-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), Infusion pumps, ports, and ambulatory chemotherapy devices, Central venous access (port, PICC line) and the tag devices-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Implanted ports for chemotherapy (port-a-cath, power-injectable, apheresis and intraperitoneal ports), Infusion pumps, ports, and ambulatory chemotherapy devices, Central venous access (port, PICC line) and the tag devices-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), Implanted ports for chemotherapy (port-a-cath, power-injectable, apheresis and intraperitoneal ports), Infusion pumps, ports, and ambulatory chemotherapy devices and the tag devices-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Infusion pumps, ports, and ambulatory chemotherapy devices and the tag devices-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Infusion pumps, ports, and ambulatory chemotherapy devices and the tag devices-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Infusion pumps, ports, and ambulatory chemotherapy devices and the tag devices-gaps-2026-11.
Every source this page cites, grouped by who published it. Grouping is read from the web address, not assigned by hand.
A source that has moved or gone is reported by the weekly link check. /audit/