ET tubes cleaning

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Honeybadger — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:06:25 GMT

[quote user="sal the 1st"]

in the veterinary dictionary for most vets that I have met the definition of 'disposable' is to get the maximum useage for the least cost and only discard when something is absolutely knackered and beyond repair (which incidentally includes their nursing staff).

Sorry just me being cynical

[/quote]

I have to agree. Some of our anaesthetic circuit bags and ET tubes have 'single use' written on them but we use them every day!

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Sal the 1st — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:41:57 GMT

Sorry just me being cynical

Re: ET tubes cleaning

amy sinton — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:20:33 GMT

have you thought of using dispsosables at all? Vygon do a range that do not need to be cleaned as you only use them once- i know there is a cost involved but the benefits of time saved and risk of infection could outweigh[quote user="Mad dane woman"]

Just wondeing how you all clean your ET tubes as not really happy with the way we do it but have no other ways of doing it!

at the mo we clean in cold water and then place in meddis fo 20 mins before rinsing and ai drying then ready for use again. I have no way of seeing if this works and just feel that there must be a better way.

We have some red magill ones and then some blue ones also.

[/quote] them..... just a thought?

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Nick Shackleton — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:15:01 GMT

[quote user="sal the 1st"]

agree with the powder and lungs - I still live with the problems caused by a bulk container of virkon falling from a shelf above me and spilling its contents

I was lucky - the cat it fell on wasnt it died

[/quote]

oh dear that's not good

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Sal the 1st — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:13:12 GMT

agree with the powder and lungs - I still live with the problems caused by a bulk container of virkon falling from a shelf above me and spilling its contents

I was lucky - the cat it fell on wasnt it died

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Nick Shackleton — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:09:18 GMT

[quote user="sal the 1st"]

purple sachets = rapidex or similar - dont really like the stuff, if it isnt rinsed properly leaves a film on the instruments if instruments are left too long in it it is corrosive. however used properly it does a really good job. Is good for soaking suction tubing in but then so is a solution of biological washing powder. Have seen drapes soaked in this - Why? - it rots the fabric! if used for too long.

best thing for fabric drapes that are heavily bloodied - soak in cold salt water for about 1/2 hour and remove any solid material before washing as normal.

[/quote]

I hate powered stuff like that cos normally ends up on my lungs lol

as for fabric drapes - nuff said lol

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Sal the 1st — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:07:26 GMT

best thing for fabric drapes that are heavily bloodied - soak in cold salt water for about 1/2 hour and remove any solid material before washing as normal.

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Katie Newport — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:55:46 GMT

i worked with a vet once that blew down et tube as they were putting it in! - only in cats though never seen it done before or after!

Re: ET tubes cleaning

NuttyNu — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:52:24 GMT

we use hibi to scrub them in (outside with a nail brush used for scrubbing instrruments etc, then inside with bottle brushes (we have 3 different sizes to use depending on size of tube)) Then we soak in Milton (We take the top bits off between the main tube and the circuit for this as well and inflate the cuffs so all areas are soaked as well as possible. We do not put the metal ends in Milton though as this can apparently ruin them???) for 30 mins - or hours if we are busy and no-one deals with them!!! Then we rinse with cold water to get rid of milton, then shake / towel dry and put on rack to finish drying completely.

We have always been taught not to put metal things in the Milton but we do use something else which comes in disolvable purple coloured sachets which we put in an ultrasonic cleaner with metal things in and sometimes a few combs depending on who puts it on - some like to do it, others don't!! cannot think what the sachets are called though - may have a look tomorrow and try to remember for when i get home!!

hope this helps!

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Erica Huggins — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:46:51 GMT

Medis and Medizyme are not the same thing.

Medizyme is an ezymatic cleaner and does not Sterilise. It should be used first and always rinsed careful before being sterilised in your choice of chemical. Like most cleaners it is iritant to airways;hence I hate trigene triger sprays and always insit on jet streams.

Meddis is a cold sterilising soloution. of which is usulally [quote user="Kay88"]

inside and out cleaned with hibi

then soaked in medis for 30m

used to be medizym but one of the new nurses said it was irritant to airways?

[/quote]used after the gross dirt has been removed and cleaned from the tubes with medizyme.But again must be rinised thouroughly before being used.

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Vicky RVN — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:38:09 GMT

Nice!!!

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Nick Shackleton — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:36:26 GMT

Vicky cos she was gross.

I remember one day she got blood all down her shirt instead of changing into some scrubs or something she walked into the scrub room lifted up her skirt and started to scrub the blood outta her skirt!!!!!!

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Vicky RVN — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:31:34 GMT

[quote user="Nick Shackleton"]

[quote user="MissVetNurse"]

I once worked with a vet who spat on the end of ET tubes to lubricate them. I nearly launched myself at him when I saw him do it

[/quote]

I've seen it too and asked to kindly stop licking the ET Tube before sticking it down my patient's throat!

[/quote]

Urgh that is GROSS!!! What's wrong with a bit of KY?!

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Nick Shackleton — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:37:16 GMT

[quote user="MissVetNurse"]

I once worked with a vet who spat on the end of ET tubes to lubricate them. I nearly launched myself at him when I saw him do it

[/quote]

I've seen it too and asked to kindly stop licking the ET Tube before sticking it down my patient's throat!

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Freckle — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:33:56 GMT

yeah, i've seen that too from an old school vet

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Claire Cameron — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:32:09 GMT

I once worked with a vet who spat on the end of ET tubes to lubricate them. I nearly launched myself at him when I saw him do it

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Freckle — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:30:16 GMT

i have also always blown down them- will use a syringe from now on

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Freckle — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:29:29 GMT

we also use medizyme and meddis - apparently soaking in medizyme helps to break down any gunk that is in there, and meddis is as good as cold sterilisation.

isn't hibi hugely irritant to mm? I am still learning (SVN), but have been told before by colleagues that hibi is a no no for ET tubes due to this.

*confused*

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Honeybadger — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:50:15 GMT

[quote user="Kate Claxton"]

You shouldn't blow down ET tubes unless it's with a jet of air and not your mouth - it can put all sorts of nasty bugs from your mouth into the cleaned tube...

[/quote]

Thats a good point, I've always done it because thats what everyone else does! I'll use a syringe from now on.

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Kate Claxton DipAVN(Med)VN — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:34:12 GMT

You shouldn't blow down ET tubes unless it's with a jet of air and not your mouth - it can put all sorts of nasty bugs from your mouth into the cleaned tube...

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Sally Howe — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:45:12 GMT

Cleaned in hibi and then into milton here

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Honeybadger — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:37:43 GMT

We clean ours with Safe4, leave to soak for about 30 minutes, then rinse.

For cleaning the really small tubes I flush them with the cleaning solution in a syringe and then blow down them.

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Sal the 1st — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:10:26 GMT

yes I have used pipecleaners with these - they do quite a good job

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Nick Shackleton — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:37:59 GMT

Pipe cleaner????

Re: ET tubes cleaning

Nicola Smith — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:50:03 GMT

Any ideas for cleaning the insides of the tiny 2 and 2.5mm tubes we use for small bunnies - our smallest et tube brush doesn't fit.