Nursing Hx:Share Oldtime Ineffective tx's?

sjsap · Sep 19, 2002

Breaking needles is something the VNA taught my dad to do with his B12 syringes after use- back in the 70s! Then he go a "fancy" needle cutter- the kind of contraption you insert the needle up to the hub and squeeze a lever to cut the sharp off. He died a couple of years ago and was still using the thing at the time. I haven't seen gentian violet in a long time- can't even remeber what it was used for. Back in the middle 90s we had a plastic surgeon who used leeches on her breast reduction patients if they developed hematomas that threatened the grafted nipples- luckily for us staff nurses, she applied them and stayed with the patient until she removed them- we never had to deal with them hands-on! Nasty things. We also had a urologist who INSISTED that the foley drainage tubes of his patients be filled with h2o2 after emptying the bags- he would bring the nurse to the bedside and have a mental meltdown if the port was empty! A complete whacko. He also had us use the red stuff- like betadine but not- for foley cath care- can't remember what the stuff is called, but the patients looked like they were bleeding around the foleys. Oh the wonders of modern medicine!

sunnygirl272 · Sep 19, 2002

yeah, i know people still break their own needles, and i know there are devices to break/cut/cremate/nuke/destroy/etc needles for the public...and household medical waste is not regulated, unfortunately...but a nurse, breaking needles in this day and age?!?!?!?

ach,,,i hope not anymore!!!!

mamabear · Sep 19, 2002

Yes, I'm one of the few remaining outlaws who breaks needles. :eek: My cheapskate employer has been extremely slow in getting safety syringes. We still don't have them for insulin or PPD's, which RN's must give, but that's another story.:chuckle

valk · Sep 19, 2002

I remember mixing chemo on the med cart. I used to double glove & double gown to protect my chromosomes.

The adriamycin vials had so much pressure they would always spray when I took the needle out.

Today I was cleaning out a cabinet and found this strange machine. It was stainless steel with a tray inside holding 3 disks wrapped in wax paper. They were @ 3" across & 1/4" thick @ are raised & lowered by a handle on the outside of the box. Has anyone ever seen such a thing? If you have, please tell me what it could be.

boggle, ASN, RN · Sep 19, 2002

OOOH Vlak, a mystery! Can you give any more descriptive information? About how big? How deep? Did you unwrap the discs?

you have piqued my curiosity

valk · Sep 19, 2002

Shiny stainless steel box about 18" long 5"front to back & 8" high with a cloth covered cord to plug it in. When you raise the handle on the right side the lid opens and there is a perforated tray with the three disks on it side by side. It looks like they would be lowered into the box when the lid is closed. It has a name plate on the front but I don't remember what it said. I think it started with an M. I can check tomorrow. Do you think you know what it is?

DelGR · Sep 19, 2002

Swan-Ganz-- we've used the room temp D5W in a continuous system for several years. I have seen but never used the old transducers.I heard they were hard to prime. I must have started in ICU right after they got the newer type of transducers.

Remember the dip sticks for Glucose and Ketones for fingersicks and using that to decide the dose of Regular insulin you needed to give for the sliding scale coverage.

Bucks traction-- is that still around? How about the combination of muscle relaxers, pain meds, bedrest, and pelvic traction for back pain patients. We had so many that started hallucinating after a day or two. They were seeing bugs, climbing on the traction frames, etc. Is that still a treatment that is being used?

Did any of you use external catheters that had the drainage tube draining into a plastic drawstring bag and going around at the end of the shift emptying each bag into a bucket?

Ether anesthetic in the OR.

T-tubes for weaning patients from ventilators. We haven't used them for a long, long, time.

Did any of you use Dakins (weak bleach smelling) solution for wound care?

Patient's smoking while you were doing painful dressing changes because the doc didn't think a pain med for painful dressing changes was necessary.

That's it for now.

traumarns · Sep 19, 2002

Originally posted by prn nurse
I'll be glad when leeches are history ! We still use them routinely for microvascular and some plastic surgeries!

Getting cardiac outputs with saline "iced down" in 5 cc syringes.

ha ha ha, we still use leeches.

we have ONE vascular physician who ONLY wants cold c.o's.

extremebean · Sep 19, 2002

DelGR- i got my license may of 2000. i was using dakins solution up on the floor then.....not so very long ago.............hmmm.....

JonRN · Sep 19, 2002

Got another oldie...any dialysis nurses/techs remember the old Kiel boards? Looked like a cheese box kinda. Held together with clamps. After dialyzing the pt., the board was broken down, the cuprophane was thrown away, and the plastic dividers soaked in formaldehyde. Then they were remade up with new cuprophane.

Pappy

sunnygirl272 · Sep 19, 2002

Originally posted by mamabear
Yes, I'm one of the few remaining outlaws who breaks needles. My cheapskate employer has been extremely slow in getting safety syringes. We still don't have them for insulin or PPD's, which RN's must give, but that's another story.:chuckle

mama..i think osha's deadline has passed...you employer is out or compliance...blow them in!!!!

sunnygirl272 · Sep 19, 2002

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=DIRECTIVES&p_id=2570#V

On November 6, 2000 the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act was signed into law (Public Law 106-430). It directed OSHA to revise the Bloodborne Pathogens standard to include new examples in the definition of engineering controls; to require that exposure control plans reflect changes in technology that eliminate or reduce exposure to bloodborne pathogens; to require employers to document annually in the exposure control plans consideration and implementation of safer medical devices; to require employers to solicit input from non-managerial employees responsible for direct patient care in the identification, evaluation, and selection of engineering and work practice controls; to document this input in the exposure control plan; and to require certain employers to establish and maintain a log of percutaneous injuries from contaminated sharps. OSHA published these revisions on January 18, 2001 with an effective date of April 18, 2001.

i could've done this in a pm, but thought the link might be a useful reference for others also...