stylet?

[pgg]

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As I'm sure they're labeled for single use only, or equivalent, that's verboten in the ivory tower.

Possibly, but the original packages are long gone. 🙂

I don't see any risk to re-using properly cleaned stylets that's greater than re-using properly cleaned laryngoscope blades.

 

[Bertelman]

Possibly, but the original packages are long gone. 🙂

It's printed right on the satin lining of the stylet. Of course, that's probably washed off by now.
😉

 

[pgg]

It's printed right on the satin lining of the stylet. Of course, that's probably washed off by now.
😉

Ours aren't the grayish satin stylets. They're white. Or maybe that's from all the peroxide cleaning cycles. 🙂

 

[IlDestriero]

Possibly, but the original packages are long gone. 🙂

I don't see any risk to re-using properly cleaned stylets that's greater than re-using properly cleaned laryngoscope blades.

We clean and then sterilize the blades. I'm guessing the stylet wouldn't survive the sterilization process.

 

[DrN2O]

I have required a bougie once because if there is a airway that requires that technique, I just use the styleted tube itself as the bougie.
- pod

I assume you don't mean to use the stylet as the bougie. I've been taught that the tip of the stylet should never poke out of the tube and contact the trachea directly. That's what a bougie or a tube exchanger is for.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

This may surprise some folks, but I stylet every tube with a fairly steep bend.

As do I

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Any questions in my mind... they are getting satin-slipped.

Why does that sound dirty?

 

[periopdoc]

I assume you don't mean to use the stylet as the bougie. I've been taught that the tip of the stylet should never poke out of the tube and contact the trachea directly. That's what a bougie or a tube exchanger is for.

Correct, although the satin stylet is probably softer than a tube exchanger, I just mean that the tube is stiff enough to run along the undersurface of the epiglottis (when unable to flip the epiglottis forward with the laryngoscope) and into the trachea just like you would with a bougie. The tube is stiff enough that it gives you good tactile feedback as it runs over the surface of the vocal cords and tracheal rings.

- pod

 

[MTGas2B]

We clean and then sterilize the blades. I'm guessing the stylet wouldn't survive the sterilization process.

Having worked in a place where we were a bit short on stylets I can tell you they do great running through the sterilizer. They can last a while if you need them to.

 

[periopdoc]

Nice flag

- pod

 

[Apollyon]

Having worked in a place where we were a bit short on stylets I can tell you they do great running through the sterilizer. They can last a while if you need them to.

Can't they be cold sterilized, too? Chemical instead of heat?

 

[pgg]

Can't they be cold sterilized, too? Chemical instead of heat?

Yes - ours get the same treatment as our laryngoscope blades: manual decontamination, drying, and then packaging for low temp H2O2 sterilization.

 

[doctadre]

maybe i'm being wasteful, but i stylet almost all of my ETTs. I really don't see much of a downside to having a stylet in place.

sure i can intubate 99 percent of people without the stylet but nobody notices. people do remember, however, the rare times where you struggle with the unstyleted tube or have to DL multiple times.

 

[Bertelman]

maybe i'm being wasteful, but i stylet almost all of my ETTs. I really don't see much of a downside to having a stylet in place.

sure i can intubate 99 percent of people without the stylet but nobody notices. people do remember, however, the rare times where you struggle with the unstyleted tube or have to DL multiple times.

Why don't you stylet every single one?