anybody using the EZ Blocker?

[caligas]

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Please share impressions and tips if any

 

[urge]

Is it available in the US?

 

[bigeyedfish]

I have never used it but played with it at the Asa this year and talked to the rep. There were some guys at the booth who said they use it in their practice so it must be available.

It seemed easy enough to use but so is a regular blocker and I can't think of many situations where it would be useful to have a two sides blocker.

The one cool thing I could see you could do with the ez blocker is block the ventilated lung while its full to have more reserve so the non ventilated lung has more time to collapse. Not sure if I explained that clearly.

 

[caligas]

Yes Its available.

 

[Idiopathic]

I have never used it but played with it at the Asa this year and talked to the rep. There were some guys at the booth who said they use it in their practice so it must be available.

It seemed easy enough to use but so is a regular blocker and I can't think of many situations where it would be useful to have a two sides blocker.

The one cool thing I could see you could do with the ez blocker is block the ventilated lung while its full to have more reserve so the non ventilated lung has more time to collapse. Not sure if I explained that clearly.

how is that any different than any other blocker/DLT?

 

[caligas]

I used it last night for the first time. Can be used thru existing regular ett. Easier to deal with and stays in place better than the bronchial blocker. Had some trouble getting good collapse of the down lung. You dont have to "lasso" the f.o.s. like you do with the bronchial blocker. The scope and the device move independent of each other.

 

[caligas]

Bumping.

Used a couple more times. Have had trouble with both balloons going down right mainstem. Helps to put a little air in both before advancing and also to pull the two balloons apart a little before pushing into ETT. Still not sold on it vs the arndt.

 

[vector2]

Bumping.

Used a couple more times. Have had trouble with both balloons going down right mainstem. Helps to put a little air in both before advancing and also to pull the two balloons apart a little before pushing into ETT. Still not sold on it vs the arndt.

Why not just use a cohen instead of an arndt? Cohen 'steers' pretty easily into desired mainstem 99% of the time compared to having to use the stupid lasso with the arndt.

 

[caligas]

Why not just use a cohen instead of an arndt? Cohen 'steers' pretty easily into desired mainstem 99% of the time compared to having to use the stupid lasso with the arndt.

Point taken but the lasso thing does allow you just to drive the f.o.s. into desired bronchus and have the blocker go with it.

 

[anes121508]

I've used it about 7-8 times so far and have found it to be fairly easy to manipulate. Most recently struggled with incomplete collapse of the operative lung. If anybody has trouble shooting tips I'd love to hear. Thanks!

 

[caligas]

I've used it about 7-8 times so far and have found it to be fairly easy to manipulate. Most recently struggled with incomplete collapse of the operative lung. If anybody has trouble shooting tips I'd love to hear. Thanks!

I can say it helps to open the breathing circuit to air for 20 seconds of passive deflation right before inflating the blocker balloon. This applies to any blocker technique.

 

[deleted162650]

Haven't used the EZ. Last hospital had a few but never had an opportunity. I have used the Uni-Blocker a handful of times, and that thing is great - 4 Stars.

 

[Consigliere]

DLT every time. Bronchial blockers are for CRNAs.

 

[fakin' the funk]

DLT every time. Bronchial blockers are for CRNAs.

And saying you do something the same way every time (regardless of circumstances) is good doctoring? 🙄

 

[Consigliere]

And saying you do something the same way every time (regardless of circumstances) is good doctoring? 🙄

Yes. When it applies to choosing a double lumen tube vs a bronchial blocker. Save the eye rolling emoticon for your CRNA colleagues.

 

[fakin' the funk]

Save the eye rolling emoticon for your CRNA colleagues.

Troll.

 

[Arch Guillotti]

DLT every time. Bronchial blockers are for CRNAs.

lol riiiiiight!

 

[Consigliere]

lol riiiiiight!

Glad you agree.

 

[pgg]

DLT every time. Bronchial blockers are for CRNAs.

They have their place.

Hard to get a DLT through a trach, for example.

Cases that start with a bronch but later need lung isolation are another good example. Why swap out a perfectly good ETT for a DLT when you can just stick a blocker in?

They're kinder to patients, too, if you care about that sort of thing.

If anything, it can be harder to achieve good isolation with one, compared to a DLT, so I don't get the nurse comment. CRNAs shouldn't be doing thoracic cases solo anyway, even in places where they're independent or pseudo-independent those cases should be going to the anesthesiologist.

The larger problem is that a CRNA gets to choose how to isolate a lung in the first place.

 

[caligas]

For me blockers are helpful on the obese, swollen, intubated trauma patient in a c-collar that's going for a VATS and who I prefer not to risk losing their airway. Often they don't really need great isolation anyway (VATS for drainage of hemothorax, chest tube placement, rib plating).

 

[nimbus]

Of all the blockers I've tried.....the EZ blocker was the......easiest. That said, I only used them because we were trialing them. I prefer dlts.