Sengstaken-Blakemore tube

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Rationale:

When the client has a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube, a pair of scissors must be kept at the client's bedside at all times. The client needs to be observed for sudden respiratory distress, which occurs if the gastric balloon ruptures and the entire tube moves upward. If this occurs, the nurse immediately cuts all balloon lumens and removes the tube.

Is this pertaining to the lumens for balloon inflation and gastric aspiration? If so, why do you need to cut the lumens first, why can't you just pull it out?

thanks.

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Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.
Rationale:

When the client has a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube, a pair of scissors must be kept at the client's bedside at all times. The client needs to be observed for sudden respiratory distress, which occurs if the gastric balloon ruptures and the entire tube moves upward. If this occurs, the nurse immediately cuts all balloon lumens and removes the tube.

Is this pertaining to the lumens for balloon inflation and gastric aspiration? If so, why do you need to cut the lumens first, why can't you just pull it out?

thanks.

Here is a link to a picture of one inserted and inflated.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=blakemore+tube&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=570&tbm=isch&prmd=ivns&tbnid=v-KY2hEKb25YXM:&imgrefurl=http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Sengstaken-Blakemore%252Btube&docid=svLgpMLsVyvGkM&w=250&h=271&ei=s2QxTp6bMcKdgQfrhumRDQ&zoom=1

The reason you need to cut all of the lumens is because the patient is having respiratory distress and you need to get the tube out ASAP. The reason you just can't pull it out is because the esophageal balloon is still inflated and pulling it out while inflated can be very traumatic. To find out why, look up why the tube is used in the first place.

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
Here is a link to a picture of one inserted and inflated.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=blakemore+tube&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=570&tbm=isch&prmd=ivns&tbnid=v-KY2hEKb25YXM:&imgrefurl=http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Sengstaken-Blakemore%252Btube&docid=svLgpMLsVyvGkM&w=250&h=271&ei=s2QxTp6bMcKdgQfrhumRDQ&zoom=1

The reason you need to cut all of the lumens is because the patient is having respiratory distress and you need to get the tube out ASAP. The reason you just can't pull it out is because the esophageal balloon is still inflated and pulling it out while inflated can be very traumatic. To find out why, look up why the tube is used in the first place.

Thank you, ckh23. A picture is truly worth 1000 words :yeah:

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Specializes in Emergency.
The reason you just can't pull it out is because the esophageal balloon is still inflated and pulling it out while inflated can be very traumatic.

Imagine regurgitating an entire foot long hot dog wiener whole. Yeah... it's kinda like that

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