Hemodynamic leveling

No Matt... at the sh*tty hospital I work at we use an old broom handle...

How's that for technology??

We use a yardstick.

What the frig is the difference if the BP is 94/50 or 92/48. Well I know it's important but not a couple hundred dollars to shoot lasers across the room important. Sheesh.

We have a huge carpenter's level we get taught

with during orientation. Then we never use it

again. I bought a $1.29 mini-level at Home Depot

and just tape it to the line; or just tape the

transducer to the phlebostatic axis then zero it out. Because I keep forgetting to take my levels home, and they get tossed with the trash when the line tubings are changed q 72 hours.

That would be cool to have a laser level. Let us know what you end up with!

I'm currently doing the research on whats available. What I've been using in the meantime -- and might recommend to the unit -- is a $13 laser pointer from Target that I can easily place on the transducer manifold and shoot at the the patient. It takes about three seconds to set up, works perfectly, and fits in my pocket when I'm not using it.

Here's a few health and safety issues to consider!

a)alignment /does it get dropped on the floor or bashed and then the laser gets knocked out of true (How about all the staff/patients and visitors having to wear protective eye care ?)

b) how many times to use it

c) cleaning of hospital equipment

Just a start, as laser seems a little OTT to me lindsay c.

I don't know about overkill, but I'm going to Target today and picking one up. Anything that makes the readings more accurate, and quicker,

is good. We are treating, based on those readings.

I also appreciate the old felt-pen "X" or dot on the pt. so we can all be consistent with just where we are pointing those calibrations.

What's this about eye protection?!

Um, I don't know about you, but I find it very easy to not shine the laser in people's eyes.

Or we can all wear sunglasses and be "Joe (or Jolene) Cool Nurse".

@ my hosp., we actually keep the pa/cvp transducer taped to an armboard, and we level on the bed. I like it alot better than having all that d#mn tubing to mess with.

We have a laser level that actually fits on a tranducer holder. The company is or was Baxter, I think it may be vigilent now. I am not quite sure.

We take a 6 ft. length of clear suction tubing with a barrel connector and add blue food color dyed alcohol to about 3 ft of the tubing; connected together you can use it as a fluid level. It's cheap,easy to clean and hangs from the iv pole.

After reading about using a laser to level hemodynamics, I went and bought a pen style red laser light at office depot and started using it on my unit. All the other nurses thought it was cool and I had a good time playing some practical jokes on them before showing them what I am using it for. It is much easier and quicker than using a yardstick type level. All you have to do is center it on the air- fluid interface, press the laser light button to turn it on, then move the transducer up or down until level. It only takes about 3 sec and shining the laser in your pts eyes is not an issue, plus the pts think it is cool also.

wow, i am going to have to try the laser pointer as well.

we use the old bulky carpenter levels.

i did my internship in a different icu, they had the transducers that were attached to the pts arms.

do those of you who use those, have any problems with them.?

how about cost?