Bougie storage

[BLSBoy]

Just had a difficult airway, used the bougie after I missed 1st attempt. We keep it either curled up, or in a semi circle, which leads to it being bent out of shape. Does anyone keep theirs straight, and if so, what do you store it in?

 

[NomadicMedic]

I worked at a service that kept them taped to the wall (sealed in a package) in the action area. Was a good idea, and it was in a handy spot.

Everywhere else I've been keeps them curled up in the airway bag. I've never had a problem getting one straight enough to use.

 

[Brandon O]

I admit this is kind of an amusing problem.

I've seen them taped to the wall too.

Ancient Irish curse: "May your bougies always be curled!"

 

[DesertMedic66]

Ours are either curled up in our intubation pack or are folded in half and kept in the intubation compartment in our response bag.

 

[medicdan]

Interesting... we've also had trouble with bougies stuffed in bags, bent or malformed. The only reasonable solution I can seem to find is the pocket bougie, which is designed to be curled up and maintain none of the shape (although the curve makes it easier to use alone and compliments the coude tip).
http://www.bomimed.com/products.php?product=37

 

[CANMAN]

There is a service I know that has a small diameter piece of PVC pipe with an end cap secured to their cot and they store them straight in there. Thought it was a cool idea. Although the stretcher isn't everywhere you could encounter a patient, it kept them nice and straight for use when needed.

 

[cfd3091]

We keep it taped to the wall by the radio. There is one in the air way bag too, just bent in half not rolled.

 

[Carlos Danger]

Just had a difficult airway, used the bougie after I missed 1st attempt. We keep it either curled up, or in a semi circle, which leads to it being bent out of shape. Does anyone keep theirs straight, and if so, what do you store it in?

The bougie is really intended to be used bent in a curve. In the OR they are usually stored straight (taped to the side of the anesthesia cart of lying on top of the anesthesia machine), and the first thing I do with it is hold it in a way that it is curved.

Unless you are storing it curled up really tight, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[NomadicMedic]

this is how I was taught...

 

[systemet]

This depends on the brand of bougie you're using. In at least one brand, if you bend the distal six inches or so, it's impossible to bend back into the original shape. At best, you end up with the tip oriented in a random direction, e.g. sideways or upside down. You can't really compensate for this when you have a poor visualisation, so you risk bouncing off an arytenoid, or simply can't find the right angle.

Despite a number of concerns being brought forward, one of the services I work simply puts a bend in them in the end closest to the operator, where it has less of an impact. Unfortunately, I still end up throwing out a few dozen every year, because the tip has got damaged.

This isn't a problem with every brand. Some of them are more elastic than others, I guess.

 

[Tigger]

The one in our intubation roll is usually still usable despite being place in the same spot as the ET tubes. There is a second one in the airway bag itself, which is big enough to hold it without much bend (it's a pretty big conterra bag).