antibiotic lock

noun

: a technique in which a concentrated antibiotic solution is instilled and kept within a patient's catheter for a prolonged period (such as 10 to 12 hours) to prevent or treat a catheter-related infection

The antibiotic lock is aimed at decreasing intraluminal microbial colonization …

—Elizabeth Krzywda et al., in The Science and Practice of Nutrition Support …

Catheters that are not easily replaced can sometimes be treated successfully with antibiotic lock therapy …

—Paul L. Marino and Kenneth M. Sutin, The Little ICU Book of Facts & Formulas