Oxygen Tank Carriers

[ORRN4evr]

Hello All,

Desperately looking for Operating Room or Hospital policies that cover Oxygen Tank Transportation.

So far I have found the relevant AORN Standard and Recommended Practice in the 2013 Edition :

Page 227 Recommendation VI.b. to VI.c. RP Safe Environment of Care

"Medical gas cylinders should be transported in a carrier that is designed to prevent cylinders from tipping or being dropped or damaged."

My new facility is currently transporting O2 tanks in the bed with the patients ( and this has apparently always been their practice), and I am having no success in convincing them of how dangerous this practice is and why we need to follow the AORN guideline on this dangerous practice.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Check CMS & TJC rules and regs. I don't have the exact reference, but I know that came up after our last inspection.

[dianah, ASN]

Not an OR nurse but just wanted to mention a lot of the newer beds have an area specifically for securing an O2 cylinder for transport.

Our ICU and stepdown beds do.

That said, I still get a lot of transports to my area (Cath Lab) with tanks in the bed.

Technically it would be more difficult to transport a bed AND an O2 "carrier" with wheels, apart from the bed.

This is likely why ppl put the tank in the bed to transport.

The tank carriers we use are more suited (and probably only designed) for being wheeled by an ambulatory patient, not accompanying a bed in transport.

You might do a little research and see what vendors offer for an alternative for O2 transport, on a bed.

It may help if you want to change practice to present 1) the problem/issue (O2 tanks in beds) 2) the reason it should be changed (AORN guidelines and/or infection control guidelines) 3) several alternatives to practice (AFFORDABLE and easy-to-use/implement carry a lot of weight). Enlist support of other involved areas (Infection Control, Risk Management, OR Safety Committee or other Safety Committee, for example).

Now, a tank in the bed does not set well with me for infection control reasons!

I will place a chux under it so the tank doesn't touch the pt's linens.

Makes me wonder about the transport monitors too... going from bed to bed... who cleans them between pts??

Good luck with your quest! :)

[TraumaORnurse]

At my hospital all of our transport carts have a place to put the O2 tank, as do some of the newer critical care beds. However, most of the floor beds do not and we lay the tank on the bed during transport. "We" being the entire hospital not just the OR.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Either the litter/gurney/whatever word you use for it has a designated spot for it or we use a cage if we can find one for beds. If we can't find a cage for the bed, we put the tank down by the feet and make sure it's not sticking out. Unfortunately, despite our cages stating to return to OR, they tend to disappear. Here's something similar to what we use when I refer to cage (it fits into one of the spots where an IV pole could also go):

[ORRN4evr]

These are the ones I recommended. I saw them priced at $80 a piece on a website and I am sure at a greater volume they would get a better rate. But I was shot down...they said the elevators are not big enough to accommodate....I accompanied some transporters and proved that it is doable even with an ORTHO bed with traction...how do I gain acceptance to do what is right when there is such resistance?