How long are your hospital's sequential stockings?

[linda2097]

I've seen hospitals that use thigh-high sequentials. I've seen hospitals that use calf sequentials. I've seen hospitals that use foot sequentials. What does your OR use?

[brewerpaul]

Knee high, often with TED's underneath

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

We have foot pumps, calf length, and thigh length. Depends on what procedure/surgeon which one we use- if we prep to mid-thigh, we use calf length. If we prep the knee, foot pumps. Mostly we use thigh length though. And the system we have is nice- we can mix and match or use just one. So if we're doing a knee replacement, we use a thigh length on the non operative leg and use it during surgery, then put a foot pump on the operative side after surgery.

[maeyken]

We're in the process of getting new ones. Previously they were all calf length, but the new ones we're getting sound a lot like the system poetnyouknowit was describing. Generally though I think we'll use mostly the calf length. According to the rep there is no difference between using thigh or calf or ankle length (??) I thought there would be a difference.

We don't use them for much due to our lack of machines, but hopefully we'll use them more in the future. Most patients just get TEDS.

[MamaCheese]

We have only the calf length in our ORs.

[surgnurse1]

We currently only have the calf and thigh-high SCD's, but I do like poetuknowit's post-op foot pump idea, I need to pass that along...thanks!! :wink2: However, regardless of the rep's advice, I have seen a couple of CEU's this year on SCD's and they recommend tailoring the stocking to the surgery, such as someone in stirrups have thigh-high and a supine patient only needing calf length, which makes sense to me. We only have one doctor that still uses TEDS with the SCDs, I think that is rather archaic if they are using the compression stockings properly, you shouldn't need to do that. Good comments!