staples left in

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Specializes in Med-Surg, LTC.

Got this patient from the hospital, one of my nurses finds a staple still intact in an incision that's otherwise healed. Report from hospital says staple were removed last week! It's now 9pm. Do I remove the staple myself, wait til AM to call surgeon, or call surgeon now?

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What kind of incision are we talking about. Where is the staple? Is it embedded? What is the condition of the surrounding skin? If it looks pretty straightforward, I'd say go for it.

We have med students remove staples from c-section incisions, so it's not rocket science.

If you're feeling dicey, you could call the doc and ask if he/she wants you guys to take care of it.

Then again, if it's embedded or the skin is red, walk away, walk away.

I'm curious. Who was at fault for leaving it in?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, School Nurse.

I would wait 'til the AM, I haven't removed staples without an order. It's not hurting anything by sitting there for one more night. By stating that the incision is healed well, I'm assuming the staple insertion sites are unremarkable.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, LTC.

The hospital left it in. We remove staples all of the time, but the skin has started growing around the staple - it looks like it might take a little digging to get it out, honestly. It's a knee incision. I will leave it for the AM charge nurse.

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I'd wait and let the AM nurse take care of calling the physician. I would not call a doctor at night over this :twocents:

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Specializes in Neuroscience/Neuro-surgery/Med-Surgical/.
I'd wait and let the AM nurse take care of calling the physician. I would not call a doctor at night over this :twocents:

And I would definitely document your findings in a narrative note!

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The hospital left it in. We remove staples all of the time, but the skin has started growing around the staple - it looks like it might take a little digging to get it out, honestly. It's a knee incision. I will leave it for the AM charge nurse.

Were you typing this from work?Curious

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

If it's worth charting it's worth calling the doc....leave a message with his/her service and if he/she wants to call back, he/she will. You will have done what you were supposed to do.

I'd be more curious to know why the patient was in the hospital long enough for skin to grow over the staple. We get knee patients 3 days after surgery.

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