1 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7
I
f a patient starts coughing during surgery, there are 2 ways to
stop the hacking.
•
Coughing in pre-op.
If the coughing is apparent in pre-op, set
up a nebulizer treatment with 4% lidocaine. When patients inhale, the
nebulizer delivers a cloud of ultra-small particles that numbs every-
thing from the tips of their noses to the bottoms of their lungs. Their
tracheal reflexes are blunted and the coughing stops. The half-life of
lidocaine is about an hour, which is usually plenty of time to get
patients through surgery.
STOP THE HACKING
How to Handle a Coughing Patient
• UNDER CONTROL A nebulizer or IV push can help quell a patient's coughing during surgery.
Ideas Work
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