Dear Scrub nurse/surgeon/resident,

[caligas]

That thing you keep pushing on with your big fat ass is the patients arm. Please stop.

Sincerely,
Anesthesiologist

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[chocomorsel]

Ha ha. Tell them that.

 

[GaseousClay]

Or that lumpy thing your elbow is smashing is the patients nose and eyeball

 

[Spinach Dip]

Sorry. I had an itch, and you know how hard it is to scratch back there while keeping sterile.

 

[jwk]

As a student, I saw one innovative solution to this problem many years ago.

Tape/rig/secure an 18 ga needle, pointed up, under the drapes, somewhere between the suprasternal notch and shoulder. If someone rests an arm or leans where they shouldn't be..... It was quite effective.

I have honestly seen this done, but of course don't do it myself. However, I have been known to physically move an assistant's or surgeons arm if they're leaning where they shouldn't be and don't respond to my polite request for them to move it.

 

[jwk]

.

 

[IlDestriero]

You have to tell the surgeon, often repeatedly. Eventually they'll get tired of hearing it and stop.
The hand under the drapes poking back works. When they ask what's up you say something along the lines of, just checking his face.
Leaning on the chest is an issue in peds more than adults. I point out that the alarm is the high pressures and/or low volumes and/or desaturations from them compressing the patients chest. It gets their attention.

 

[Desperateapplicant]

As a student, I saw one innovative solution to this problem many years ago.

Tape/rig/secure an 18 ga needle, pointed up, under the drapes, somewhere between the suprasternal notch and shoulder. If someone rests an arm or leans where they shouldn't be..... It was quite effective.

I have honestly seen this done, but of course don't do it myself. However, I have been known to physically move an assistant's or surgeons arm if they're leaning where they shouldn't be and don't respond to my polite request for them to move it.

If the problem being their @$$ occluding the IV extension tubing - then keeping the tubing out of the way will work. More likely though, fat @$$es on arms occlude veins and obstruction of venous return from that arm; in which case, taping the IV tubing out of the way won't work.

 

[Ipassgas]

For the face, I put the tube tree under the patients head on the offending parties side, almost touching the patients face. Inevitably I get "can you move this thing poking my arm?" "No I can not. It's protecting their face from your elbow." "Oh."

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

As a student, I saw one innovative solution to this problem many years ago.

Tape/rig/secure an 18 ga needle, pointed up, under the drapes, somewhere between the suprasternal notch and shoulder. If someone rests an arm or leans where they shouldn't be..... It was quite effective.

You'd also be getting a call from HR if you did that where I work. I appreciate someone just telling me if I don't realize I'm leaning too much.

Being an intern on the other side of the drape, I'm also learning a lot what not to do when I'm in my CA years. Believe it or not, there are some bush-league anesthesiologists out there, and don't even get me started on CRNAs :/

 

[jwk]

You'd also be getting a call from HR if you did that where I work. I appreciate someone just telling me if I don't realize I'm leaning too much.

Being an intern on the other side of the drape, I'm also learning a lot what not to do when I'm in my CA years. Believe it or not, there are some bush-league anesthesiologists out there, and don't even get me started on CRNAs :/

This was almost 35 years ago when I first started as an anesthesia student. It was "demonstrated" to me by the person I was working with. I haven't ever done it myself. That being said, some people really don't get the message, so sometimes being polite and persistent doesn't work.

 

[BuzzPhreed]

No, no, no. Here's what you do.

You rig a bag of normal saline and put the end of the open tubing at about knee height. Place this with the open end of the tubing facing where the offending person's leg is gonna be. Disguise this by taping it under the bed before the case starts. The best is to have the height and angle to hit them about mid thigh or slightly lower.

When they lean on something (or otherwise piss you off somehow) you reach over to the "special" bag on your IV pole and turn the stopcock loose. They will get a stream of cold fluid instantly through the scrubs.

The first time they feel it, they'll look down. The second time they'll say something stupid like the patient is leaking or fluid is draining off the table. The third time they'll say WTF is going on here?!??!!

Just don't say anything or fess up. Just sit back and laugh. It's like's Pavlov's dog: each time they lean on the BP cuff, squirt 'em. Eventually they'll get conditioned.

 

[Dwindlin]

No, no, no. Here's what you do.

You rig a bag of normal saline and put the end of the open tubing at about knee height. Place this with the open end of the tubing facing where the offending person's leg is gonna be. Disguise this by taping it under the bed before the case starts. The best is to have the height and angle to hit them about mid thigh or slightly lower.

When they lean on something (or otherwise piss you off somehow) you reach over to the "special" bag on your IV pole and turn the stopcock loose. They will get a stream of cold fluid instantly through the scrubs.

The first time they feel it, they'll look down. The second time they'll say something stupid like the patient is leaking or fluid is draining off the table. The third time they'll say WTF is going on here?!??!!

Just don't say anything or fess up. Just sit back and laugh. It's like's Pavlov's dog: each time they lean on the BP cuff, squirt 'em. Eventually they'll get conditioned.

I feel like I could turn this into a study. . . "Operant conditioning in the OR: Does it increase patient safety?"

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

This was almost 35 years ago when I first started as an anesthesia student. It was "demonstrated" to me by the person I was working with. I haven't ever done it myself. That being said, some people really don't get the message, so sometimes being polite and persistent doesn't work.

I can see some being dense. But sometimes, especially when you are a retracting monkey, you need a little bit to rest on. I'd be pissed if I got stuck because of some anesthesia prank. Because it means dealing with employee health and their rules, not to mention intentional physical assault. If I get tired and end up leaning too hard, just tell me. People get tired. Being butthurt doesn't belong in the OR (although it seems to thrive there :/).

 

[HollywdAnesth]

I had an orthopedic resident throw a heavy instrument onto the patient's chest once. A simple "Hey *****, that was 5 inches from the patient's face." worked quite nicely, and got a chuckle from everyone in the room.
After this, they would start drawing a face on the drapes where the patient's face is. It did the trick.