OPAs aren't sterile?

Vikus said:
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.
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Y'all are lucky you don't have to deal with The Joint Commission.

They DEMAND that all our airway devices be kept clean/sterile and individually wrapped until time for use. We used to have oral and nasal airways loose in a drawer, and disposable laryngoscope blades loose in another drawer. No longer. The rationale was/is that we might reach in the drawer with a contaminated gloved hand and touch more than one item at a time. So now, airways are wrapped until needed. Our laryngoscope blades are individually wrapped. In theory, if we open them or (god forbid) ET tubes or LMAs in advance, we are supposed to write the DATE and TIME on the wrapper. For our OB setups, which always have airway supplies "open and ready", we check the ETT cuff and attach a laryngoscope blade to the handle, then close it all up in a ziplock bag, dated and timed, which according to them is good for a week.

Freaking absurd!!!
 
Both the agnecies have i work for have pretty good relations with the local hospitals, so we can drop off anything we used and either have it directly replaced, like BVMs or NRBs, NCs ect or we can have Environmental Services take it and they will clean it, autoclave it and return it. Some stuff is shared so they just put it back into the hospital rotation. Things like metal larygnoscope blades and handles, iv pumps, and it all comes back in a vacuum sealed bag
 
jwk said:
Y'all are lucky you don't have to deal with The Joint Commission.

They DEMAND that all our airway devices be kept clean/sterile and individually wrapped until time for use. We used to have oral and nasal airways loose in a drawer, and disposable laryngoscope blades loose in another drawer. No longer. The rationale was/is that we might reach in the drawer with a contaminated gloved hand and touch more than one item at a time. So now, airways are wrapped until needed. Our laryngoscope blades are individually wrapped. In theory, if we open them or (god forbid) ET tubes or LMAs in advance, we are supposed to write the DATE and TIME on the wrapper. For our OB setups, which always have airway supplies "open and ready", we check the ETT cuff and attach a laryngoscope blade to the handle, then close it all up in a ziplock bag, dated and timed, which according to them is good for a week.

Freaking absurd!!!
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The OPAs in the ORs here are just in bins, guess the commission has not been around lately.
 
Tigger said:
The OPAs in the ORs here are just in bins, guess the commission has not been around lately.
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Ah, your time will come. :) As always, they have to come up with new rules and regulations and standards to justify their ongoing existence.

Supplies not on the floor? Check. Supplies at least 18 inches from the ceiling? Check. Timeout before all procedures? Check. Hmmmm, what else can we find? Ah, how about "all airways must be in an impermeable package until the moment of use". Of course there are no studies that would indicate there is a problem, but that's not really important. What's important is we have made a standard that must be followed.

That's pretty much how they roll. No rhyme or reason, no studies backing up the necessity for a standard. Someone who sits behind a desk and has never been involved with patient care dreams up this crap. And of course we have our "consultants" come through every few months just to see if we remember what to do. We call those Fake-O.
 
ThadeusJ said:
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.
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Who's buying them? Is it EMS agencies or generally non-EMS?
 
Yeah, let's stick a sterile thing in a very non-sterile place. Makes perfect sense to me. I always wondered the same thing about Yankauers. I always liked to keep one connected to the section, but stored in the packaging. Suction is one of those things where you don't need it often but when you do you need it NOW. Again, I was always told it had to remain sterile but no one could explain why when you were putting it somewhere non-sterile.
 
jwk said:
Y'all are lucky you don't have to deal with The Joint Commission.

They DEMAND that all our airway devices be kept clean/sterile and individually wrapped until time for use. We used to have oral and nasal airways loose in a drawer, and disposable laryngoscope blades loose in another drawer. No longer. The rationale was/is that we might reach in the drawer with a contaminated gloved hand and touch more than one item at a time. So now, airways are wrapped until needed. Our laryngoscope blades are individually wrapped. In theory, if we open them or (god forbid) ET tubes or LMAs in advance, we are supposed to write the DATE and TIME on the wrapper. For our OB setups, which always have airway supplies "open and ready", we check the ETT cuff and attach a laryngoscope blade to the handle, then close it all up in a ziplock bag, dated and timed, which according to them is good for a week.

Freaking absurd!!!
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We live in a world where it's common practice to put other people's genitals in your mouth, but people are scared of non-sterilized medical equipment...... Hm.
 
HA HA HA CO!! I had a joke earlier but refrained from it....basically a picture of a banana after it has started to brown "You will not eat this, however you will do this..."
 
Vikus said:
How come OPAs aren't kept sterile? They're just in loops in the BLS bag, not in any sort of package.
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They have to be sterile around here per our ministry equipment standards - screen shot attached for the exact requirements.
OPA.jpg
 
jwk said:
Ah, your time will come. :) As always, they have to come up with new rules and regulations and standards to justify their ongoing existence.

Supplies not on the floor? Check. Supplies at least 18 inches from the ceiling? Check. Timeout before all procedures? Check. Hmmmm, what else can we find? Ah, how about "all airways must be in an impermeable package until the moment of use". Of course there are no studies that would indicate there is a problem, but that's not really important. What's important is we have made a standard that must be followed.

That's pretty much how they roll. No rhyme or reason, no studies backing up the necessity for a standard. Someone who sits behind a desk and has never been involved with patient care dreams up this crap. And of course we have our "consultants" come through every few months just to see if we remember what to do. We call those Fake-O.
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Oklahoma was like this. Amazed me....

"So it's better to let my patient aspirate while I unpackage and hook up the suction than to risk something non-sterile being put somewhere....non-sterile? Cool, I guess..."
 
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