suture needles

Re: suture needles

Kim Buckley — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 12:26:05 GMT

Used those little boxes in my last practice and found them really good. Needles in a swab are a pain to put together!

Re: suture needles

supamog — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 00:14:56 GMT

Thanks to all for your replies. Those wee boxes sound a grt idea. True enough about having to integrate them surruptitiously! I;m worried about the pot of needles turning into a soup of bacteria even tho im changing the surgical spirit every time i see it which in the long run is probably more expensive than changing blunt needles constantly! and i know for a fact that it isn't changed over the weekend for ooh use. How many autoclave cycles before they go blunt other than how much actualy surgery they are used for?

Re: suture needles

Sal the 1st — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 23:17:49 GMT

last lot of these needle boxes I bought I got through JAK - they were cheaper and exactly the same

Re: suture needles

Phrin Vernon RVN — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 23:00:17 GMT

Given the price of them, I am almost tempted to buy a few with my own card, and just slowly integrate them in.... don't get me wrong, i only get 10.6k per annum, so can scarce afford it, but I have before now bought stuff with my own money that will better the practice - just cause I know that the bosses don't awlays 'get' what equipment, no matter how cheap, will better things

Re: suture needles

Mrs Dot Dot — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:43:44 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

We put them in a small box which gets put in the kit before autoclaving.

http://www.veterinary-instrumentation.co.uk/product.php?productid=614&cat=0&page=1

[/quote]

We use these... great idea..... better than blunting them when puttimg them thru swabs! The only downside is that the lids gets pulled off occassionally by an over-zealous person... but they are cheap to replace..... and Vet Instrumentation don't charge postage......

Re: suture needles

A-J — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:42:53 GMT

yep, worked with a locum who did that little boxes are ideal

Re: suture needles

Gillian Mostyn — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:16:35 GMT

We used to put the needles through a swab but after one scary moment when I ALMOST plunged this needle laden swab into a blood-filled abdomen, we looked for an alternative......

We also get less needle-stick injuries now....

Re: suture needles

Phrin Vernon RVN — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:05:32 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

We put them in a small box which gets put in the kit before autoclaving.

http://www.veterinary-instrumentation.co.uk/product.php?productid=614&cat=0&page=1

[/quote]

I've worked in practices that use the wee boxes before, and they are ace! No blunting apart from autoclaving

Re: suture needles

Tracey Louise — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:04:46 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

We put them in a small box which gets put in the kit before autoclaving.

http://www.veterinary-instrumentation.co.uk/product.php?productid=614&cat=0&page=1

[/quote]

That is a fab idea!!! I may have to have a think about doin that as makin up needle swab packs is a pain in the bum.

Re: suture needles

Gillian Mostyn — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:00:16 GMT

We put them in a small box which gets put in the kit before autoclaving.

http://www.veterinary-instrumentation.co.uk/product.php?productid=614&cat=0&page=1

Re: suture needles

Tracey Louise — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:52:03 GMT

We have 4 x size 20 needles and 4 x size 14 needles wrapped in a swab and secured with autoclave tape popped in with the surgical kit in a drape and autoclave bag.

(The x4 consists of a half curved cutting, half curved round bodied, curved cutting and curved round bodied)

Generally the vets find something within these suitable. If not they can request something else, that are autoclaved seperately in a swab and bag.

I used to work in a practice that used the pot with surgical spirit with the vet dipping an instrument to retrieve a needle out of it. Did not think this was a good idea.

Re: suture needles

Phrin Vernon RVN — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:19:09 GMT

[quote user="Vicky SVN"]

We have a needle pot in each kit which the vets decided what needle sizes/types they wanted (the most commonly used ones), and then we have a selection of different sizes etc in swabs in small autoclave bags - so you can see what type you want if the vet needs them. Works fine. We used to have them in cold sterilisation...didn't like that one bit!

[/quote]

I agree - that would upset me too!

Re: suture needles

Phrin Vernon RVN — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:17:51 GMT

We put a selection of needles which are placed through a swab in each pack. Packs are then wrapped in cloth drapes, then into an autoclave bag for sterilising via autoclave.

We also keep lots of little packs of sterilised needles, labelled small animal or large animal as appropriate.

Personally I try not to let needles be used more than a couple of times, as both use, and autoclave sterilisation will blunt them = yowch!

Re: suture needles

Vicky RVN — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:57:21 GMT

We have a needle pot in each kit which the vets decided what needle sizes/types they wanted (the most commonly used ones), and then we have a selection of different sizes etc in swabs in small autoclave bags - so you can see what type you want if the vet needs them. Works fine. We used to have them in cold sterilisation...didn't like that one bit!

Re: suture needles

Steph Worsley — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:57:10 GMT

when i was in normal practice we used to pack the with the kits and then have different needles autoclaved seperately

now we only use things like vicryl etc with needles attached to sutures so fresh needle for every single patient