ECG cables

[DrN2O]

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Over the past few years, people at my work have started to keep the 5-lead ECG cables on their patients and bring them to PACU. I supposed it saves the PACU nurses 30 seconds, so that's 30 fewer seconds anesthesia needs to wait before giving report and moving on. I refuse to do this because 1) if I forget to take the replacement cables (and I do), then they will be missing for my next case, 2) PACU has to replace the leads on the chest anyway so they can use them to monitor respiration.

Is this common practice? Should I just fall in line? And what about taking the ECG cable to preop, so I can save the 30 seconds hooking them up in the OR? Tell this old dog that these are the hacks to be fast and efficient.

 

[CopaceticOne]

Over the past few years, people at my work have started to keep the 5-lead ECG cables on their patients and bring them to PACU. I supposed it saves the PACU nurses 30 seconds, so that's 30 fewer seconds anesthesia needs to wait before giving report and moving on. I refuse to do this because 1) if I forget to take the replacement cables (and I do), then they will be missing for my next case, 2) PACU has to replace the leads on the chest anyway so they can use them to monitor respiration.

Is this common practice? Should I just fall in line? And what about taking the ECG cable to preop, so I can save the 30 seconds hooking them up in the OR? Tell this old dog that these are the hacks to be fast and efficient.

Just fall in line. This is not a hill to die on.

This isn’t unusual, multiple sites within our health system do it.

 

[cchoukal]

For us, the RN accompanies us to PACU and is in charge of bringing cable back to the room.

 

[jwk]

our leads and cables are attached for us in pre-op. it all goes to the OR with the patient, and then on to PACU. Easy stuff

 

[UscGhost]

Leads attached in preop and follow the patient until discharge

Very efficient and easy. I find it annoying to have to manually attach and remove leads

 

[DrN2O]

Leads attached in preop and follow the patient until discharge

Very efficient and easy. I find it annoying to have to manually attach and remove leads

That's nice. It's not a periop policy here, and I'm just too lazy to bring the cables to preop and attach them myself.

 

[DrOwnage]

Could be worse. At one of our surgery centers we have to detach the preop ones, place a whole new set in the OR (inevitably also change the stickers because they placed them all wrong), and remove those before we leave the OR, then attach a new set in PACU. I want to murder whoever changed the policy.

 

[UscGhost]

That's nice. It's not a periop policy here, and I'm just too lazy to bring the cables to preop and attach them myself.

Have your chief propose a policy change

 

[jwk]

Could be worse. At one of our surgery centers we have to detach the preop ones, place a whole new set in the OR (inevitably also change the stickers because they placed them all wrong), and remove those before we leave the OR, then attach a new set in PACU. I want to murder whoever changed the policy.

Just say no. It's wasteful and inefficient. And lead placement is just not that critical an issue in most ASC patients

 

[abolt18]

Could be worse. At one of our surgery centers we have to detach the preop ones, place a whole new set in the OR (inevitably also change the stickers because they placed them all wrong), and remove those before we leave the OR, then attach a new set in PACU. I want to murder whoever changed the policy.

Why are they placing leads in pre-op?

 

[DrOwnage]

Just say no. It's wasteful and inefficient. And lead placement is just not that critical an issue in most ASC patients

I would agree with you but we do a lot of unhealthy people at this ASC, the exclusion criteria is basically ASA 4.

 

[AKMD_1984]

I would agree with you but we do a lot of unhealthy people at this ASC, the exclusion criteria is basically ASA 4.

then that’s an asc case selection problem
not an ekg lead positioning problem

 

[jwk]

I would agree with you but we do a lot of unhealthy people at this ASC, the exclusion criteria is basically ASA 4.

We use disposable cables start to finish. Leads are cheap - if I don't like the placement I change the lead, not the cable.