Flushing
a) The injection of a suitable fluid during angiography to wash out blood from the catheter. During angiography, blood may fill up the catheter tip and in this non-flowing blood, the clotting process may be activated. To avoid the formation of clots in the catheter and reduce the risk of inducing thromboembolism, the blood should be washed out from the catheter with frequent flushing. The flushing fluid can be saline with or without Heparin added. b) General feeling of warmth during the injection of contrast media. Most common after intravenous injection. High osmolality is an important factor in causing flushing. Conventional ionic contrast media create more flushing than non-ionic contrast media.
GE Healthcare Glossary