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What Do You Think?
November 2006
New Questions
Sandbags for MC
Does your cath lab routinely employ sandbags following manual compression for sheath removal? How long do you leave the sandbags on? Are sandbags utilized for all manual sheath removals or is it sheath-size dependent?
Michele Kosinski, RN, MSN, CCRN, CEN
Nurse Manager Cath Lab
St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, Syracuse, New York
Email: Michele.kosinski at sjhsyr.org
Cc: cathlabdigest at aol.com
RN Role in Innovative Procedures
I am writing today to request some guidance from the experts at Cath Lab Digest. I am developing a presentation on innovations in interventional cardiology. I have found a respectable amount of information regarding gene therapy, angiogenesis, percutaneous PFO/valve repair all of these fabulous topics that I would like to address. However, what I have not been able to find are articles that address the nurse’s role in the care for the patients receiving these therapies. This is truly the direction I would like my presentation to move. Would you have any input into where I may find such material? I greatly appreciate your time.
Dawn Vollers, MSN, RN, BC
Educator Department of Education and Development
ViaHealth
Rochester General Hospital
Rochester, New York
Email:
dawn.vollers at viahealth.org
Cc: cathlabdigest at aol.com
Radiation Risk Reduction
How do you prevent or reduce the risk of scatter radiation during your procedure? And how important is it to you and your staff?
Ken Russell
Email:
krussell at microtekmed.com
Cc: cathlabdigest at aol.com
Sheath Pulling Competency
We have a busy cardiac progressive care unit and get many patients from the cath lab post intervention with arterial sheaths in place. Since there are over 100 nurses on the unit, it is difficult to keep them all competent in sheath pulling.
How do other places handle this?
Is the development of hematoma or pseudoaneurysm most related to sticking technique or pulling technique?
Thanks for your expertise and input!
Joan M. Mack, RN, MSN, CS
Clinical Nurse Specialist, Cardiology
Email: JMack at nebraskamed.com
Cc: cathlabdigest at aol.com
Days On Call Per Month
My hospital has 2 heart labs and 1 specials lab. There is a total of 5 RNs and/or RTs that take call daily. During a month’s period, we average 9-10 days of call per team member. My question is, what is the typical number of days on-call for RNs/RTs per month, and do you have a policy regarding the maximum number of days a team member, either RN or RT is allowed to take on-call, per month? Thank you!
Theresa Billington, RN
Staff Nurse-Cathlab
Lake Hospital System
Willoughby, Ohio
Email: Tmb54669 at aol.com
Cc: cathlabdigest at aol.com
Cervical and Lumbar Damage from Lead Aprons
Do you as a cath lab professional suffer from cervical and/or lumbar disc damage? My suspicion is that wearing the lead as often and for as long as we do, that the weight is causing a significant percent of our professionals’ to suffer lifetime damage!
Bob Basile
Email: bobstero at ptd.net
Cc: cathlabdigest at aol.com
I have been employed by a very busy cath lab for the past 21 years. I usually wear a lead apron for an average of 4-6 hours per day, 5 days a week. About 3 months ago, while scrubbed in on a long angioplasty/stent case, I noticed severe burning in my trapezius muscle with pain radiating into my deltoid muscle with numbness and tingling down my left arm into my thumb. That same day I met with employee health nurse practitioner. She ordered an MRI of the cervical spine and the findings were left C6 nerve compression by disk. I am still having problems after undergoing cervical block injections. I no longer wear lead aprons for the time being.
I would like to hear if other cath lab techs have had similar symptoms?
Larry Williams
Orlando, Florida
Email: lww56f at aol.com
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