Airway lube..

Household6

Household6

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I can't be the only student to ask this..

My personal go-bag is kept in my vehicle, sometimes it gets below freezing, those packets of KY freeze.. I park in the garage, but if I'm at the movies or somewhere else, stuff gets cold..

Reviewing King and Combi skill labs the other day, I asked my instructor if I could use a trauma patient's blood as a lubricant if I didn't have access to my lube. I was thinking of it being a little frozen ice cube, and not wanting to blow on it and rub it in my hands while my patient is suffocating.

He gave me blank look like no one has ever asked that before, and said no. You don't want to introduce fluids to the airway.. I'm obviously not going to argue, just make a note and remember the protocols he wants for the exams.

Is it a bad idea in a pinch? Why or why not? I'm the jerk that asks "why" about EVERYTHING..
 
Metaquestion: why are you carrying advanced airway materials in your POV?

ANYWAY, blood is a Murphy's Law lubricant; it's slippery when you don't want it to be.

Ask your medical director.

EDIT: quote from the OP on another thread:
"If you get a job as a medic, and decide you don't like it, you can always go back to EMT.. Just because you have a degree for something doesn't mean that's what's you HAVE to do.

I feel for you, my husband is less-than supportive of my future career choice too.."

Red letters mine.
What is a "future" (non)-paramedic doing with advanced airways in a personal kit? That way lies danger.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Did he check for hidden cameras before he answered your question?
 
mycrofft said:
Metaquestion: why are you carrying advanced airway materials in your POV?

ANYWAY, blood is a Murphy's Law lubricant; it's slippery when you don't want it to be.

Ask your medical director.
Click to expand...

We were using the school's equipment. I carry lube packets for NPAs. The question came up because he was using handsoap on "Airway Larry".
 
You know, I think it is possible you are the only person in the history of EMS to ask that question. First off, you're only going to be putting a king or combi tube in a dead person. At that point a lack of heart beat is a bigger problem than suffocating. And if it is a trauma patient their chance of living is negligible anyway. If it is a non traumatic arrest worry about compressions, not airway.

That being said, do NOT use blood as lube. It's beyond unnecessary. I don't know a single person that routinely lubes any airway device prehospital.
 
Aidey said:
I don't know a single person that routinely lubes any airway device prehospital.
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[raises hand]

That said...use lube. Your stuff shouldn't be exposed to freezing temps anyway.
 
I don't lube OPAs, but I lube every other device.
 
Well, there is so much hot air in Texas it must dry everything out.
 
usalsfyre said:
[raises hand]

That said...use lube. Your stuff shouldn't be exposed to freezing temps anyway.
Click to expand...

No sarcasm meant, but do have any suggestions? I do bring my stuff in the house if it gets real cold out, it concerns me that things like NRBs/BVMs will become brittle and break down or crack. I live in Minnesota, it gets darn cold. Our garage is always above 32 degrees, but like I said-- going to the movies, church on Sundays, going places where I have to park outside and it's not feasible to carry inside.

I have an 08 Town and Country with in floor storage like this: http://www.motorguidance.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/In-floor-storage.jpg

I keep my goodies in the floor because my van is frequently full of passengers, I like the O2 to be laid down and secured below all of us.

In the way way back pic of back there's no netting to safely secure things from becoming projectiles.
 
I dont see why you couldnt use the patient's own saliva as a lubricant.

I would never use blood though.
 
Household6 said:
No sarcasm meant, but do have any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Don't keep a whacker bag in the car?
If you do, don't keep anything that expires or can't handle temperature fluctuations and that you're unlikely to ever need.
There's been much discussion about personal supplies of oxygen here, too; look for it.
 
Meursault said:
Don't keep a whacker bag in the car?
If you do, don't keep anything that expires or can't handle temperature fluctuations and that you're unlikely to ever need.
There's been much discussion about personal supplies of oxygen here, too; look for it.
Click to expand...

I know, I know, I know... It's required of me right now though.. It's a very rural community, responding with the gear that's been issued to me by the FD. Hopefully only until next semester, then I'll be done with being under the thumb of the FD.
 
Household6 said:
I know, I know, I know... It's required of me right now though.. It's a very rural community, responding with the gear that's been issued to me by the FD. Hopefully only until next semester, then I'll be done with being under the thumb of the FD.
Click to expand...

That's a completely different situation than carrying a whacker bag just because you can.
 
Robb said:
That's a completely different situation than carrying a whacker bag just because you can.
Click to expand...

I'd rather not carry a tank around. I've asked for a smaller one, I was told "everyone wants a smaller one".. :glare: I'm on-call with the FD as a volunteer until the end of the summer. They have scholarships available to a limited number of people, if I preform well (according to the FD's standards) over the next six months, I have a good chance at snagging one for the EMT-A class at the CC. I'm hoping my Spanish will give me a leg up. I got a Pell Grant I was going to use this summer for American Sign Language class, hopefully that'll look good too.

If not, ASL and basic Spanish are nice to know.

I do like having a go bag here at home though.... In case the zombies come, yanno?
 
Household6 said:
I do like having a go bag here at home though.... In case the zombies come, yanno?
Click to expand...

Better off filling that bag with antiobiotics and MREs. And a katana.
 
I think a better way for you to use the king airway is to stab the zombies through the eye, and it's probably more efficient without the lube. Maybe throw frozen packets of KY at them?
 
Household6 said:
I know, I know, I know... It's required of me right now though.. It's a very rural community, responding with the gear that's been issued to me by the FD. Hopefully only until next semester, then I'll be done with being under the thumb of the FD.
Click to expand...

So glad my department doesn't require that. We're rural, but my bag is pretty much just in case we get a call that it would be faster for me to go direct than to go to the station and pick up the ambulance. I live less than 1/4 of a mile from the station. My bag stays by my front door. I've taken it out of the house once since it was issued, and that was more of a PR opportunity, not an emergency.
 
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