J U LY 2 0 1 7 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 5 1
"It's a judgment call, but
many variables can be
accounted for," says Dr.
Reines. "I've taken to
using supraglottic airways
on some obese NPO
patients, and some anes-
thesiologists are comfort-
able using them on
patients positioned on
their side."
They're quick, they're
easy to use and they're useful as emergency airway devices when needed, he
adds. "There's no battery, no bulb, no handle mismatch, and there are no
sterilization issues. Supraglottic airways may be the item that has improved
anesthesia efficiency the most in my practice."
6. Pre-filled syringes
Ordering medications in pre-filled, dose-specific syringes lets providers skip
drawing up medications from vials to syringes. From an efficiency standpoint,
there's a lot to like about the pre-filled products. They also prevent potentially
dangerous labeling and dilution errors, reduce the likelihood of direct drug con-
tamination or cross-contamination, extend shelf lives and reduce waste, and
improve staff safety by providing needle-free systems for administration. Some
manufacturers of single-use drug vials include extra labels that can be removed
from the vials and used to label syringes once the drug is drawn up. The labels
are highly readable, which promotes drug safety, and shave a few seconds off of
the medication preparation process.
• ONE AND DONE Pre-filled syringes streamline medication administration, improve drug
safety and reduce cross-contamination risks.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
