ED Physicians Respond to Codes with...

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Specializes in ICU. Med/Surg: Ortho, Neuro, & Cardiac.

It's been a while since I've seen a code until last night. I've seen quite a few of them though.

The one that happened last night made me wonder something. On all of the codes I've seen, the ED doc pull a tackle box type thing off the wall that's kept in the ER and carries it with him to the code.

It may be a stupid question, but what's kept in the box? I've never even seen the doc open it.

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Specializes in ER.

Probably intubation meds.

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Specializes in CVICU, CCU, MICU, SICU, Transplant.

Just what I was thinking. Most likely intubation supplies and/or meds for RSI. We have similar tackle boxes on my unit just for that reason.

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Specializes in ICU. Med/Surg: Ortho, Neuro, & Cardiac.

Makes sense.

Because it's clear tackle box tinted with a very dark shade of blue so it was hard to see the contents and I was doing compressions so I didn't pay much attention but I thought I saw the outline of a scalpel.

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

A lot of units have a "transport box" drugs and equipment you want on hand if for instance your patient codes in the elevator on the way to C.T. I suspect that is what is it your "blue box". In ours it is lido push, epi push, artopine,an I.V kit, emerg. trach device, and some flush syringes. Stuff to get you by until the code cart arrives.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Might be stuff for an emergency crichothyrotomy too.

Hard to tell - can you ask one of the ER docs?

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Specializes in NICU.

Or for a chest tube? In the NICU we have two tackle boxes - one with emerg. meds (epi, CaGluc, atropine, etc) and one with intubation equipment (not meds, though, because we generally don't use them for RSI). We then have blue carts with common supplies needed for procedures, including emerg. chest tubes. Then the code carts, of course, although I've yet to see one opened. Frankly I'm not sure what's in them other than the defib on top and the arrest flowsheets.

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Specializes in SICU, MICU, CICU, NeuroICU.

Why not just ask ... They won't kill you if you do.

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