Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/771120
A D V E R T O R I A L Brought to you as an educational service by Photos by: John Gastaldo Is it Time to Bag Bean Bags? The Pink Pad makes Trendelenburg easier, safer and more economical. Pamela Goss, BSN, RN, CNOR, San Diego • With bean bags, if the patient sweats, there's nowhere for the liquid to go, and that can exacerbate skin breakdown. The Pink Pad material wicks away moisture, helping to prevent ulcers. The material is so skin-friendly that I sometimes cut off the corners and use the scraps to cushion the hard parts of the IV. • Once you're in tilt, there's no pressure on the head, neck or shoulders and no worries about pressure or nerve injuries there. • Set up is less than a minute, saving us 5 to 6 minutes per procedure. When you consider that OR time can cost as much as $80 per minute, the Pink Pad pays its own way and then some. • The Pink Pad is single-use, so there's no risk of cross-contamination. R emember DVD rental stores? They were great in their time, but now that time is over. In my mind, bean bags are in the same category. It's time to move on. When you need to position patients in Trendelenburg, do your patients, your facility and your staff a solid and "think pink." You'll be glad you did. Ms. Goss is Robotics Coordinator at UCSD Thornton Hospital in La Jolla, Calif. M ost of us no longer use dial-up internet, 8-track tapes, floppy disks or slide rules. We no longer own rotary phones or VHS video players. Is it time to consign bean bags to the same scrap heap? At least for Trendelenburg positioning, I think the answer is yes. There's a much safer, more efficient, more economical solution available —the Pink Pad from Xodus Medical. I know of what I speak. As recently as a couple years ago, I was a seasoned member of the bean bag brigade. As robotics coordinator at the University of California-San Diego medical center, I used them all the time to secure GYN, urology and colon patients in Trendelenburg. But I was never a fan. • Especially with heavier patients, bean bags sometimes just aren't stable; • Bean bags can have hidden pinholes that prevent suction, a major problem if the patient is already intubated. During long cases they can also lose suction and pancake, threatening the patient's stability; • Their use sometimes results in skin ulcers and nerve damage. That's not only bad care; it can be a costly "never event"; • They have to be cleaned between cases, slowing room turnover because the surface needs to air dry; • They are potential cross-contamination sources. I've seen bodily fluids on reusable bean bags more than once. F ortunately, bean bags are no longer necessary for Trendelenburg. I found that out the day we tried our first Pink Pad. When I first saw it, I was dubious. How would this colorful flat pad perform the function of a form-fitting bean bag? I watched in amazement as the Pink Pad held an obese patient like glue on a table tilted 40 degrees. Since then I've learned: • It's incredibly comfortable. It molds to the patient's contours and grips the skin while reducing pressure and shear. The high-tech Pink Pad material feels like the viscoelastic gel pads on expensive beds. THE PINK PAD MOLDS TO THE PATIENT'S CONTOURS AND GRIPS THE SKIN WHILE REDUCING PRESSURE AND SHEAR.