Email Discussion Group: September 2006

Under Discussion:

Recycling Platinum Tips

I am a new Nurse Manager to the Cath/EP lab, and one of my staff brought to my attention that we could possibly recycle the platinum tips off of the catheters and get some money back for our hospital. Does anyone know anything about this, as far as who do you send them to, as well as the steps involved in doing it? Thanks for any help that you can give me. Brad Massey, Nurse Manager, Little Rock VA Hospital, Arkansas (Readers, to reply to this question, please type Recycling Platinum Tips in your subject line.)

Call Cascade Refining in Utah. Their web page can be found on Google. Dan Villarreal, CVT, Seton Medical Center EP Lab, Austin, Texas

I use EPreward (epreward.com). They are very efficient and supply the bottles for the tips. We cut our tips about 1 from the end of the catheter and place in the bottle. Rosemarie Fleming R.T. (R), Materials Manager, Cath Lab/EP Lab, Forsyth Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

In response to recycling platinum tips, here's a company that may be able to help: Medical Alloy Industries 560 Stokes Rd. Medford, NJ 08055 (609) 953-7820 Their flyer was on the counter in our lab with their price list. Christine J. Reoch, RCIS

Two companies with addresses: EPreward Owner: Steve Miller 123 N. Congress Avenue, #393 Boynton Beach, FL 33426 (561) 375-8034 Contact Steve; he will send you a container with envelopes and instructions for your electrode tips. Medical Alloy Industries. Contact Elaine Gale; she will send you a brown bubble envelope kit for your electrode tips. Note that my contact may be wrong, as I recycle less with the resterilization of catheters. Resterilization of electrode catheters: Ascent HealthCare Solutions Home Office: 10232 South 51st Street Phoenix, AZ  85044 888-888-3433 Melissa Salituri is my area rep, so you will or could have a different rep. Recycling electrode catheters will save you big bucks. There are also marketing firms that will pay you a monthly stipend for your implant statistics, if you are interested. Dana St. John, RN, Cardiac Electrophysiology Lab, HealthPark Medical Center, Fort Myers, Florida

There are several companies that I am aware of doing this. I just recently sent out to Metalor (they were at HRS): Metalor Michael Gullison - Business Development Manager Tel.: 508-699-8800, ext. 246 Fax: 508-695-1603 mike.gullison@metalor.com Cascade Refining, Inc. 2490 S. 3200 West Salt Lake City, UT 84119 (800) 955-5857 Medical Alloy Industries You can contact these to get information to see who best meets your needs. Donna Furry

We purchase platinum-based catheter tips, stent materials, and other platinum-based medical device parts or fixtures. However, we would need a rough idea about your volumes, and at present, cannot accept any materials that may be classified as hazardous or biological waste materials.  We are not currently equipped to accept platinum-bearing pharmaceuticals or compounds at this time. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or require additional information.  Bruce Rogove

Job Description: RCIS in EP Lab

I'm presently a member of a dedicated EP team with a job description for our Cardiac Cath Lab. Does any lab presently have a job description for an RCIS in the EP lab? I would appreciate any input. Thanks! Christine J. Reoch, RCIS, St. Mary's Hospital, Richmond, Virginia (Readers, to reply to this question, please type RCIS in the EP Lab in your subject line.)

Catheter Placement by Non-Physician Staff For the last four years, technologists have been placing catheters for basic EP tests for the physicians. We have come to find out that there is no policy for the staff protection. Thanks to JCAHO and the lawyers of the world, this has to be evidence-based. Do any labs out there allow catheters to be placed by non-physician staff? Looking for policies or a lab that allows this practice. Mitch Hammond, BSHSc, EP-CVT, NREMT-P (To reply to this question, please type Catheter Placement in your subject line.)