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"People used to say video games were like a drug," he says. "This is
one time that it's not a bad thing."
The key, Dr. Seiden says, is finding an app that allows for interaction
between the patient and the tablet. For example, young children are
"mesmerized" by a free app called Pocket Pond, where the user is
overlooking an animated koi pond and can touch the screen to splash
water. It may sound simple, he says, but it's engaging enough to calm
kids down before anesthesia.
While Dr. Seiden notes the upfront costs are high to buy the tablets
and the gear to protect them (he recommends looking for a heavy-
D I G I T A L O R
Much has been made about the distraction risk
that tablets and smartphones pose in the OR,
but what about the infection risk?
Orthopedic surgeon Alexander K.
Meininger, MD, of Steamboat Springs,
Colo., has come up with a way to keep
those gadgets germ-free and sterile in the
OR. The FDA just approved Dr.
Meininger's eShield (
eShieldOR.com
), a
clear plastic pouch that lets you use cell
phones, tablets and cameras in the sterile
field. The eShield lets you maintain touch
capabilities of modern screens even
while wearing surgical gloves, says the
company. eShield covers come in various
sizes.
— Dan O'Connor
DIGITAL DEVICES IN THE STERILE FIELD
The Sterile Solution for the Digital OR
PROTECTIVE POUCH eShield sterile
covers for handheld electronics let
you bring phones, cameras and
tablets inside ORs without fear of
infection.
