What' s in your Pt's Go-Bag?

Specialties Private Duty

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I'm just curious.

Some people have suction caths,diapers,chux,extra meds,extra change of clothes,extra formula,extra gtubes in addtion to the extra trach(one sixe larger,one the same size,and one smaller) and the ambubag.

In our go bags its usually just the trachs,Ambubag,trach ties,obturators,saline,and sterile h2o.

When we go out we bring the go bag plus a bigger bag with all the extra goodies.

But I don't consider that a go bag.

When your pt goes to the ER do you include clothes,meds,extra gtubes,and portable suction machines with you(assuming you are able to go to the ER).

It never occured to me to give meds while the pt is waiting in the ER to get admitted.

I don't give the pt their scheduled meds because I'm thinking maybe they might want to run tests in the ER.

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Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.
I'm just curious.

Some people have suction caths,diapers,chux,extra meds,extra change of clothes,extra formula,extra gtubes in addtion to the extra trach(one sixe larger,one the same size,and one smaller) and the ambubag.

In our go bags its usually just the trachs,Ambubag,trach ties,obturators,saline,and sterile h2o.

When we go out we bring the go bag plus a bigger bag with all the extra goodies.

But I don't consider that a go bag.

When your pt goes to the ER do you include clothes,meds,extra gtubes,and portable suction machines with you(assuming you are able to go to the ER).

It never occured to me to give meds while the pt is waiting in the ER to get admitted.

I don't give the pt their scheduled meds because I'm thinking maybe they might want to run tests in the ER.

Go bag has emergency back up items based on the pt needs. Diapers and clothes are nice, but probably aren't life saving items.

Meds should be given unless you get an order to hold the meds or the parent refuses. I mean if it's just a vitamin, it may not hurt. But skipping insulin or BP meds could be bad. But by the book, let the parent refuse or get an order.

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I don't know. We never go anywhere! (I work nights..)

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I don't know. We never go anywhere! (I work nights..)

Haha....me too.

I've worked nights my whole working career,even before nursing,ever since I was 18!

I usually just check it anyway.

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I'm talking about while the pt is waiting in the ER.

Say we they got to the ER at 2am,and neurontin is due at 3am.

You still give that med?

I usually hold it. Of course,I also give the hospital staff the MAR and facesheet.

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Here was ours which was our go-bag/diaper bag

Outermost compartment had a plastic bag with:

Trach tube, usual size

Trach tube, downsize

Scissors

2 precut trach ties

2 packs lube

1 chux pad (in case you have to do this on the floor)

Saline flushes with saline for filling balloon

An empty 10mL syringe for deflating syringe

Suction catheter

4x4s

1 clean obturator

Other outermost pocket:

Insulated container for cold medications

Insulated container for room temp medications

Inside (very organized in pouches and sections)

Wipes

3 diapers

change of clothes

3 chux pads

Syringes (60, 20, 10, 5, 3, 1ml)

1 can of formula

1 bottle of water

Mickey extension set

G-tube kit

Chux pad

Lube

4x4s

Scissors

First aid kit

Bulb syringe

Manual suction pump

Neosporin

10x30 sterile pad

4x4 sterile

tape

Vent circuit

Pulse ox sensor

Lip balm

Eye drops

Minty or lemony mouth swabs

Lotion

(for me)

sanitary pads

lip balm

$40 in small bills

1 roll of quarters

toothbrush and toothpaste

nailclippers

tissues

notepad and pen

HMEs

Swivel

Omni-flex

Trach care stuff (pre-cut tie, saline bullets, 2x2 drain sponges, 4x4s, lube, cotton swabs)

Oxygen tubing

Suction catheters (Yankauer, trach, neotech)

Ambubag

Occlusive dressings

Mask

500ml sterile water

Gloves

2 large plastic ziploc bags

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Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.

What do you all mean, you don't check it? What if something were missing/borrowed and wasn't returned? You don't have time in a real emergency to run all over the room finding things. And people for whatever reason take stuff out of the go bag all the time. Also, I chart at the end of my shift that the go bag is stocked and ready. I wouldn't want to be blamed for a missing item after my shift if something went wrong!

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

OP - did you really mean a size LARGER trach? How would you obtain that? And why?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Here was ours which was our go-bag/diaper bag Outermost compartment had a plastic bag with: Trach tube usual size Trach tube, downsize Scissors 2 precut trach ties 2 packs lube 1 chux pad (in case you have to do this on the floor) Saline flushes with saline for filling balloon An empty 10mL syringe for deflating syringe Suction catheter 4x4s 1 clean obturator Other outermost pocket: Insulated container for cold medications Insulated container for room temp medications Inside (very organized in pouches and sections) Wipes 3 diapers change of clothes 3 chux pads Syringes (60, 20, 10, 5, 3, 1ml) 1 can of formula 1 bottle of water Mickey extension set G-tube kit Chux pad Lube 4x4s Scissors First aid kit Bulb syringe Manual suction pump Neosporin 10x30 sterile pad 4x4 sterile tape Vent circuit Pulse ox sensor Lip balm Eye drops Minty or lemony mouth swabs Lotion (for me) sanitary pads lip balm $40 in small bills 1 roll of quarters toothbrush and toothpaste nailclippers tissues notepad and pen HMEs Swivel Omni-flex Trach care stuff (pre-cut tie, saline bullets, 2x2 drain sponges, 4x4s, lube, cotton swabs) Oxygen tubing Suction catheters (Yankauer, trach, neotech) Ambubag Occlusive dressings Mask 500ml sterile water Gloves 2 large plastic ziploc bags[/quote']

You are awesome and I would have been honored to work with your family.

This is similar to the go bags for my primary patient (except the trach/vent items as not a t/v kiddo just multiple other complexities that make my patient medically complex/fragile). We have 2 go bags one for school & one in the home closet. We also keep a foley & bottles of sterile water in case there is an issue with the GB. In addition to bottles of Pedialyte and the components to make a weeks worth of his custom enteral formula. Parents have a DC fridge they keep in the van for longer trips or emergent evacuation (we live in a flood zone).

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OP - did you really mean a size LARGER trach? How would you obtain that? And why?

I know yrs ago,some companies used to tell us to have a larger size trach,a sma e size trach,and a downsized trach.

I was never sure of the reason why we would need a larger trach,but as I understand it many don't recommend a larger size trach anymore. Most just have the size trach they need and a smaller"downsized" trach for emergencies.

Some parents still go by the older rules though.

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I'm curious about the larger sized trach. Unless you have a custom trach, a larger diameter comes with a longer length. Without a scope to know the distance from stoma to carina, you'd risk a lot of damage to the trachea/carina or risk intubating the right mainstem bronchus.

In an emergency, the risk is that the muscles contact and you can't insert the "normal" sized trach, hence the smaller trach tube. Under what emergent circumstances would a larger trach tube be considered? (I'm genuinely curious)

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

just a guess

since EDs may not have the particular size and type

needed in stock maybe the rationale was to have a larger size

in case the Dr. wanted to change it

so it wouldn't be for PDNs to insert???

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