Assessment of in-line filters to prolong the life of intravenous cannulae in cystic fibrosis patients

SUMMARY Twelve patients with cystic fibrosis received 12 courses of intravenous antibiotics, each over 10–14 days, both with and without the use of an extended–life disposable filter. The design of the trial was to replace the Venflon cannulae as they became non–patent and inserting a filter on alternate occasions. Thus each patient acted as her/his own control. Comparison of times during which cannulae remained patent showed a 50% improvement with use of a filter for 4 patients and no change for 7 patients. There was no significant difference associated with the use of a filter for the group as a whole but our small sample size excludes modest improvements.