Enemas in the ER

I bet your techs just love coming to work...

Every now and then we'll do a Fleet's or a soap suds enema on a pt., but more often than not, it's half now, half later of a bottle of mag citrate ("The Sparkling Laxative!" ) and buh-byes!

I work med/surg and I just love it when a laxative like mag citrate or lactulose is given in ER and during transfer the desired effect is achieved at the worst possible time...

We send tap water or soap suds enemas to the medical floor because of the amount of time involved and it ties up a bed and one staff member for hours (usually). We do give an occasional fleets enema in the ER but mostly, a bottle of mag citrate and out the door. It is our practice NOT to do enemas in the ER setting unless traffic is extremely slow at the time. And, we all hate doing these because most of the people can't even get themselves up off the bed and onto the commode or into a bathroom 10 feet away.

I don't think they think about it...doesn't happen that often...thankfully. They think more about who the other techs are that they are working with...we have a few that don't hold their weight...ugh.

Beats the digital disimpaction of canteloped sized packages.

We do milk and molasses enemas...works 99.9% of the time. The "brown cow" is also quite popular with our MDs...prune juice with MOM.

I thankfully have not done an enema in the ED. I just wish I would never see another bottle of kayexalate.

Very rarely....In three years I have done one once (thank God...I hate them). Have often sent a fleets home with patients on dc, though.

Indeed, I find something inherently wrong with something that is intended for "oral or rectal" use.....gives me the heebie- jeebies.