Skin prep for electrodes

Brandon O

Brandon O

Puzzled by facies
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Does anyone carry anything to prep for ECGs other than alcohol? Benzoin, Mastisol, etc?
 
We carry razors and benzoin sticks. The benzoin works pretty well, but you have to make sure it it pretty dry (I give it a quick dab with a paper towel) before applying the electrodes. You'd be surprised at how many people try to apply electrodes to a wet spot of benzoin...
 
Same as above. Benzoin swabs and a rechargeable razor with disposable heads.
 
I've actually never been with a prehospital service with benzoin. Do you guys dig it?
 
What benefit does benzoin or other applications offer over alcohol?
 
I doubt it is super important, but I don't think alcohol wipes are recommended because it dries the skin increasing resistance. What I've read recommends soap and water, which obviously isn't usually available prehospitally. I've had great success simply using a 4x4 to wipe sweat and lightly exfoliate the skin. n=1, but exfolliating the skin lightly once turned a super artifact 12-lead into picture peftect for me once. I was kind of surprised at how well it worked. I'll use alcohol wipes or hand wipes if there is dirt; I haven't tried just using sterile water or normal saline. I don't thnk using alcohol wipes are that bad and my goal is to remove a lot of dirt so I think it outweighs the con of drying skin. I'll shave the patient with a razor if they are very hairy. We have benzoin, but I've never used it.
 
It's mostly for diaphoresis. If they're sweating enough you can wipe all day and they're still going to sweat under the electrode once you apply it.
 
As far as skin prep goes, I only shave super hairy people and a light abrasion with the side of a packet of an alcohol prep works wonders, but the benzoin makes electrodes stick to a diaphoretic MI patient like nothing else.
 
We carry spray on antiperspirant in our monitors
 
CALEMT said:
So spray on deodorant essentially? Does it work pretty good and do they smell fresh afterwards?
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Lol exactly that. And it seems to work pretty well
 
TransportJockey said:
We carry spray on antiperspirant in our monitors
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Hahaha. As long as it's not AXE spray. I guess that would be a good test for how sick they are though.

If they stand up and walk away so they don't end up smelling like a middle school boy's locker room, they're clearly not in critical need of EMS intervention. If they lay there and take it, it's an automatic upgrade to a Priority 1 patient [emoji12]
 
For diaphoretic patients, you can also try pressing a rolled-up towl lightly against the chest leads.
 
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