re-using femstops

We don't exactly reuse ours, they get recycled. We collect them and they get sent off somewhere to be cleaned/refurbished. I'm not sure, but I think when we send back a certain amount, the company sends us a batch of new/cleaned/ ones either free or discounted. I think the company replaces the pressure bulb each time. I'm not sure if reusing them like you are proposing is a great idea. What if one fails??

Hmm. I would check with the manufacturer(sp?) to see if they're autoclavable(sp?). Sterilization would be the only acceptable way of cleaning something that's just been in contact with (sometimes lots!) of blood. I'm guessing they cant be,because they're rubbery-plastic stuff (and would melt/warp??). ? We always dispose of ours after single-use...but i dont know how cost effective/innefective that is. If you can autoclave these things on-site, then it might be more cost effective. ??

Hmm. I would check with the manufacturer(sp?) to see if they're autoclavable(sp?). Sterilization would be the only acceptable way of cleaning something that's just been in contact with (sometimes lots!) of blood. I'm guessing they cant be,because they're rubbery-plastic stuff (and would melt/warp??). ? We always dispose of ours after single-use...but i dont know how cost effective/innefective that is. If you can autoclave these things on-site, then it might be more cost effective. ??

Forgot to mention that we RARELY use fem-stops anyway...so it's probably not as big an issue where i'm employed...

We don't reuse our femstops between patients...I usually keep the femstop in the room in case of a rebleed or something, but I don't think that I have ever had to actually use it...

We always put the Femostop in the trash after use. I'd like to throw the new version into the trash before use sometimes...but i digress.

We always put the Femostop in the trash after use. I'd like to throw the new version into the trash before use sometimes...but i digress.

We often have the option of using the femostop, C-clamp, or manual pressure. For patient safety I choose the method that requires the shortest time. I think it is unsafe to leave a patient who may move, cough, or sneeze causing arterial bleeding when left alone. Patients need to be observed.

BUT the point about sterilization, we dispose of the "bridge" section. I prefer the old fashioned C-clamp or my own hand. The time used can be for teaching and reassurance.

Some facilities are still using femstops, some cardiologists don't want us to and prefer direct manual pressure the 'old' way. When I take off the femstop, I keep it close by just in case the pt rebleeds. I've never had to put it back on, but I know other nurses who have specially with pt on Plavix, etc.

I don't know if we could reuse over and over safely...would have to ask the manufacturer for advice. If we could safely disinfect it like other room equipment and could rig a sterile Tegaderm over the puncture site effectively I guess its possible (but it might not be PC.) There are crevices and cloth on the device where blood could be difficult to remove.

Fem-stops are a disposable/one time use item and should not be re-used on another patient. These devices come in direct contact with blood and I don't think that "washing" them would be adequate! I have a hard time believing that the fem-stop cost is really stretching your hospitals budget to the point of needing to re-use a device. Fem-stops cost my lab approx. $70.00/pc. If you are seriously considering this you should run it by your legal department and realize that JACHO would have a feild day with you re-using a device marked one time use. The real question is: If you ever have an arterial puncture would you like to have a USED femstop put on you? Granted the last patient it was used on may have had Hep. C but I washed it really, really good!!! I would encourage you to look at other cost saving measures, maybe manual pulls with a hemostasis patch.

I agree with the statementthat BJnurse made, would you want a used one placed on you or someone you love. Re use of a one time use item is opening a can of worms that could never have a good outcome. Look at other ways of cutting costs. C clamps provide a good way to maintain pressure on an arterial stick site.

I guess I'm looking at it this way....can femstops be used like c clamps are now? With a sterile bariier in between? I think this is what the OP is getting at...

Is anybody using the SYVEK patch? I work in a CCU in Ft. Lauderdale and most of our docs use this seaweed polymer patch (1 X 1) to speed up clot formation. Manual pressure is applied for a total of 20 minutes and the patch is applied 5 minutes after the femoral sheath is pulled. It works fairly well. All you need is a small drop of blood (or saline) to congeal to the patch and you're all set to go. If the patch gets saturated as a result of continual oozing, we would continue to apply manual pressure, put on a pressure dressing and weigh it down with a 5 lb sandbag. Our unit rarely uses the fem-stop now and when used, only when all else has failed. I wonder if this might be more cost efficient??

We often have the option of using the femostop, C-clamp, or manual pressure. For patient safety I choose the method that requires the shortest time. I think it is unsafe to leave a patient who may move, cough, or sneeze causing arterial bleeding when left alone. Patients need to be observed.

BUT the point about sterilization, we dispose of the "bridge" section. I prefer the old fashioned C-clamp or my own hand. The time used can be for teaching and reassurance.