OPAs aren't sterile?
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DesertMedic66
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Because OPAs only go in the mouth. Think about all the different non-sterile things people put in their mouths on a daily basis with no issue or complications.
Inspir
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Giggity
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Vikus, the OPA only needs to be kept clean. Almost everything that people put into their mouths aren't sterile. You likely have shelves/a pantry/refrigerator/freezer full of stuff that's not sterile... that you gleefully put in to your mouth every day. The OPA doesn't break/pierce the skin nor does it go past the glottis... therefore sterility isn't necessary.
PotatoMedic
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My MAC blade is not sterile, nor is my Miguell(sp?) Forceps. My ET tubes are but it is only a clean procedure not a sterile procedure.
NomadicMedic
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DesertMedic66
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You have to much time on your hands
redundantbassist
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Post of the year award goes to...
True, never really thought of it that way ( and by that way, I mean with common sense ) However, and I'm sure this varies by department, those OPAs tend to stay in the bag a lot, and never really get cleaned, especially the less popular sizes. I can't help but wonder what gross, abnormal stuff is on them. From what I've seen online, many places keep OPAs in a clear box, not just in elastic loops at the sides or top of the bag.
akflightmedic
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LOL....I hail from the days when we used to rinse this stuff off and reuse it! 
DesertMedic66
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Ours are kept in the elastic loops inside our intubation bag.
NomadicMedic
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You haven't lived until you've rinsed puke out one of these...
And the idea of washing and reusing a laryngoscope blade almost made one of the new medics I work with gag.
And the idea of washing and reusing a laryngoscope blade almost made one of the new medics I work with gag.
COmedic17
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Ours are in elastic loops. You probably come in contact with way nastier things from touching door handles and touching your face/eating.
MonkeyArrow
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Pretty much everything you do in the field is going to be clean, not sterile. As soon as you open the packaging, the item is no longer sterile anyways. If OPA insertion was to be sterile, you'd have to scrub, don a cap, mask, surgical gloves, use aseptic technique throughout, prep the mouth with betadine, etc.
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COmedic17
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Really? Ours are disposable.
DesertMedic66
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Every now and then I'll find a metal blade inside a kit. If we use it then we will toss it. All of our restock ones are plastic.
So really the only metal ones we still have are the blades we don't use very often
So really the only metal ones we still have are the blades we don't use very often
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All the blades are reusable metal. For as far as the eye can see.
akflightmedic
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I remember having to get an emesis basin to soak my blades in some bleach for a few minutes on the rear step of the ambulance while we cleaned and finished reports. Then a little towel dry and back in the kit they go!
Rinsing off a face mask for the BVM and don't even get me started on the C-collars....man we had some nasty ones pop up here and there from reuse!
Rinsing off a face mask for the BVM and don't even get me started on the C-collars....man we had some nasty ones pop up here and there from reuse!
ThadeusJ
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As a (now former) manufacturer, everyone is right in that they don't need to be sterile, but clean (but kept clean until needed). We sold them individually bagged however this can tick off those who want rapid access to them. Several years ago there was an incident where the OPA was used to rip through the bag (another manufacturer's product) and a small piece of the bag formed around the tip of the OPA. When the provider bagged the patient, it blew the plastic down the airway. So please be mindful of how you access the device.
Regarding sterile OPA's, the packaging and regulatory issues drive the price up these devices 2-3 times of non-sterile ones...so a company that places sterile OPA's on their list is costing the system a lot more than they need to spend.
Regarding sterile OPA's, the packaging and regulatory issues drive the price up these devices 2-3 times of non-sterile ones...so a company that places sterile OPA's on their list is costing the system a lot more than they need to spend.