Recently, an anesthesiologist from a big tertiary hospital sent a message: If a clinical problem is found, they should try to improve it.
After receiving the information, Dr. Xue sensitively believed that this was indeed a problem: because many hospitals have the same situation.
The situation he reflects is that the operation table is often flooded in water-intensive surgeries such as hysteroscopy and resection of the prostate. After the operation, the patient was almost lying on his back in the water.
Actually, our skin is not afraid of blisters. However, everyone’s first reaction may be “too cold”.
That is true, although the fluid used in the procedure is warmed. However, room temperature around 25 degrees quickly draws heat away from the water running into the bed.
At the same time, because the specific heat of water is very high. It consumes a lot of calories for every degree it rises. And where does the heat come from? from the patient.
As a result, the patient’s temperature drops rapidly. After the operation, almost all of them shivered.
However, the anesthesiologist has more to worry about. That is, there is a puncture needle eye on the patient’s back.
If it is an ordinary needle, the anesthesiologist will not think much. However, the eye of the needle goes straight into the spinal canal!
Where is the spinal canal?
The spinal canal is where the nerves are housed, the nerves that go to the trunk and extremities.
Once this place gets infected, the consequences are unimaginable!
Some people said: After the anesthesia and puncture are completed, isn’t it all covered with tape?
It is indeed posted. However, the tape in the puncture bag is not waterproof at all, and it can’t withstand a lot of water.
What’s terrifying is that, during the extubation process after the operation, it was found that the tape had already been “missing”, and only the catheter was left hanging alone in the puncture point.
Of course, this is only a rare case.
The anesthesiologist reported that the patient himself seemed very unwell. When she was told that the operation was over, she felt very cold and asked the nurse to help cover the quilt.
However, the operating bed was full of water and couldn’t cover it.
In the wet, the surgeon turned the patient’s body over. The tape was still there, but it had long since been lifted up by the blisters.
On the patient’s side, it was colder due to the exposure of the wet back to the air. Soon, he was so shivering that he couldn’t speak.
Getting off the operating table, the anesthesiologist felt very worried and remorseful: Worried, will there be infection? Blame yourself for not taking good care of the patient. During the operation, only focus on the safety of the patient, while ignoring some details.
After fully understanding what happened, Dr. Xue suggested that they take leak-proof measures to block the water outside the operating bed. In addition, absorbent materials can be used to quickly absorb fluids that accidentally flow under the patient.
Currently, this is a common problem, and I hope someone comes up with a good and innovative way to solve this problem completely.
Professally speaking, it’s not just a matter of clamminess. Patients who are exposed to moisture and pressure for extended periods of time are also at risk of pressure ulcers.
Anyway, this is a real problem, both from a humanistic and medically professional perspective!
[Warm reminder] Please pay attention, here are a lot of professional medical science, to reveal the secrets of surgical anesthesia for you~