Champagne Taps

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lilowangatang

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10+ Year Member
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Yesterday, I got to do my very first lumbar puncture (as a med student!!!!)! AND it was a "champagne tap" aka FLAWLESS tap, which apparently some interns and residents still have never gotten. First try. Anyone else get a champagne tap?
 
While I was on peds, the sub-i and two interns all scored champagne taps. And none received champagne.

One tradition I don't like seeing die. 🙂
 
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That's awesome. Nice job!

Reminds me of a story. When I was working at an ED an intern got a champagne tap on his first try ever. He was ecstatic and everyone was congratulating him until it turned out he did it on the wrong patient.
 
That's awesome. Nice job!

Reminds me of a story. When I was working at an ED an intern got a champagne tap on his first try ever. He was ecstatic and everyone was congratulating him until it turned out he did it on the wrong patient.

Wow..

I haven't even started med school yet, but things like this worry the hell out of my that it could be me that does something like that..
 
Nice!

Does a champagne tap need to be from the 1st tube or can it be from the 3rd? I feel like my residents do studies on the 3rd and throw out the 1st or just get a culture on it because they assume it's dirty and the 3rd is clean.
 
I got a champagne tap on my first try doing an LP.

However, the same pt returned 3 days later to the ER after being called back with growth on her culture.

Upon re-LP'ing her, it was the complete opposite--basically just a CSF bloodbath. Humbling
 
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In adults (infants this doesn't apply to) I've had 2 champagne taps on first tubes and 2 or 3 taps with a RBC of 1. Never hit the double digits. Doesn't have to do with luck or skill, has to do with the needle. If you want non-traumatic taps a lot like that, throw out that 18 gauge needle in the LP kits. Use a 20 or a 22 gauge 3.5" needle (or shorter on young'uns) instead. Then you can post your results on a forum almost everytime 😉 If your hospital doesn't have them, get them to get them. They're a lot easier on the patient. A LOT easier on them.
 
In adults (infants this doesn't apply to) I've had 2 champagne taps on first tubes and 2 or 3 taps with a RBC of 1. Never hit the double digits. Doesn't have to do with luck or skill, has to do with the needle. If you want non-traumatic taps a lot like that, throw out that 18 gauge needle in the LP kits. Use a 20 or a 22 gauge 3.5" needle (or shorter on young'uns) instead. Then you can post your results on a forum almost everytime 😉 If your hospital doesn't have them, get them to get them. They're a lot easier on the patient. A LOT easier on them.

What's the reason for stocking the kits with an 18g needle? Speed of collection? Just curious.
 
Yesterday, I got to do my very first lumbar puncture (as a med student!!!!)! AND it was a "champagne tap" aka FLAWLESS tap, which apparently some interns and residents still have never gotten. First try. Anyone else get a champagne tap?

You made an SDN account just to post this?

As an MSIII I performed a craniotomy unassisted during surgery and placed a ventricular shunt on my FP rotation.
 
That's awesome. Nice job!

Reminds me of a story. When I was working at an ED an intern got a champagne tap on his first try ever. He was ecstatic and everyone was congratulating him until it turned out he did it on the wrong patient.

is it bad that I LOLed.