Hospital Knowledge Flashcards
What is the default vascular access point?
Peripheral IV access
What is a vascular access device?
an indwelling catheter, cannula or other instrument used to obtain venous or arterial access for treatment or monitoring needs.
(Both central and peripheral vascular access devices are available.)
Where are chest drains inserted?
into pleural space to allow drainage of:
- Air-pneumothorax
- Lymph fluid-chylothorax
What are chest drains known as?
under water seal drains (UWSD)
What are the purposes of chest drains?
- Allow expansion of lung
- Restores negative pressure within thoracic cavity
- Underwaterseal prevents backflow of air or fluid into the pleural cavity
What should be happening to underwater seal drains?
always bubbling or ‘swinging’
What does a ‘swinging’ underwater seal drain mean?
fluid within the tube should oscillate or ‘swing’ with every breath
What does a bubbling underwater seal drain mean?
- Air is being removed from pleural space
- Normally occurs on expiration or when patient coughs
- Bubbling stops when lung expands and air leak resolves
- Continuous bubbling indicates worsening air leak
- No bubbling or swinging-chest drain blocked
When & why are wound drains used?
- Post surgery
- Used to remove pus, blood or other fluids from a wound
What are nasogastric feeding tubes used for?
- Carries food and medicine to the stomach through the nose
- Used for all feeding or supplemental calories
What is the purpose of a nasogastric aspiration tube?
- Drains the stomach’s contents
- Remove gastrointestinal secretions
- Removes any swallowed air
What are indications of urinary catheters?
- Allow urine to drain if you have an obstruction urethra
- Allow patient to urinate if patient has bladder weakness or nerve damage
- Drain bladder before, during or after surgery
- Treatment for urinary incontinence when other types of treatment haven’t worked
What are urinary catheters?
hollow flexible tubes used to collect urine in a bag from the bladder
Why are oro & nasopharyngeal airways used?
keep upper airways open when they may become obstructed with secretions or the tongue
What should be done to the airway before oro & nasopharyngeal airways are used?
should be well lubricated with water-soluble gel prior to insertion
How are Nasopharyngeal airways used?
- Passed through one of the nares and just inferior to the base of the tongue
- Measure from tip of nose to tip of ear
- Contraindicated in base of skull fractures
(Size range 17-26cm in length and 6-9mm in diameter)
Tolerated well so patients can be alert
When are Oropharyngeal airways used and why?
Can stimulate the gag reflex so are only used on patients with altered levels of consciousness
(e.g anaesthesia, overdose, head injury)
What is a colostomy?
a surgical procedure that brings one end of the large intestine out through the abdominal wall
What is a stoma?
the opening in the skin where a pouch for collecting faeces is attached
What are faecal management systems?
temporary containment devices for faeces, and divert the faeces to a collection bag
When are faecal management systems used?
for bedridden or immobilized, incontinent patients with liquid or semi-liquid stool
What are the benefits of faecal management systems?
- Helps reduce risk of infection and skin break down
- Protect any wounds that may be exposed
Describe how faecal management systems work.
- Catheter has a retention balloon that is inserted into the rectum.
- At the opposite end, the catheter attaches to the collection bag.
What is Haemofiltration?
a form of Renal Dialysis, which removes waste products from the blood by passing it out of the body through a set of tubing (filtration circuit) to a semi-permeable membrane (filter) and returning it, cleaned, to the body.
( mainly used in a critical care setting )
