Test 4 Flashcards
Draping Definition
- The act of covering the patient and surrounding areas with an impervious sterile barrier, creating a sterile field around the operative site
Criteria for an effective barrier
- Fluid resistant
- Tear resistant
- Lint free
- Antistatic
- porous enough to allow heat to dissipate
- some breathability
- flexible to fit contours
- non-glaring
- for staff–need to see
- non-toxic
- flame resistant
*resistant not proof (can still get strikethrough, can still catch on fire)
Draping materials
Drape=Sheet
- Paper (or pressed fiber cloth)
- Linen
- Plastic
- Polypropylene
Paper Drapes
- a nonwoven fabric of compressed synthetic fibers
- a disposable, single-use item
- most medical centers have paper drapes
Linen/Muslin Drapes
- a woven fabric with a thread count of at least 270
- reusable, often with water-resistant finish
- number of uses must be tracked to maintian a good barrier and any holes or tears must be patched before next use
Plastic Type 1
- a drape sheet, usually with self-adhering edges, to be used in arthroscopy or other procedures involving irrigation. most common is the plastic U-drape. microscope drapes and C-arm drapes are also plastic
- not breathable
Plastic Type 2
- Self-adhering plastic sheeting, aka incise drape:used at incision site, either under or over the main drape used for the procedure, at the fenestration in the drape
- may be impregnated with iodine or simply be self adhering on one side and not on the other (Ioban- brand name)
Polypropylene
- a synthetic material that is more fire resistant than standard paper drapes
- laser procedures
- not widely used
- not breathable- does not dissipate heat well
Common drape types
- Towels
- Fenestrated drapes
- leggings
- underbuttocks drape
- stockinette
- other
Towels
- Most draping starts with towels
- usual exception to the above: extremity draping
- most towels are used as a set of four to “square off” the incision site
- may be woven or paper with self adhering edges
Fenestrated drapes
- from the french “fenetre” for window
- laparotomy drape
- perineal & LAVH drape
- aperture drape
Laparotomy drape
- may have longitudinal or transverse incision fenestration, or a large fenestration exposing most of the abdomen
- for minor procedures on adults, often a pediatric laparotomy drape is used
Perineal & LAVH drapes
- used to create a sterile field for the pt. in lithotomy, the perineal drape has attached leggings and a fenestration that fits over the perineum
- LAVH has these features added to a large laparptomy drape, for access to perineum and abdomen
Aperture drape
- usually an extremity drape
- has a small hole inside a stretchable synthetic polymer at the fenestration site
- hand or foot of patient placed through this aperture, which is stretched to accommodate the extremity
Leggings
- supplied in pairs to cover the legs of a patient in lithotomy position
- big bag that goes over each leg
Underbuttocks drape
- used in conjunction with leggings
- usually plastic
Stockinette
- used to cover an extremity before the extremity (aperture) drape is used
- may be impervious or non impervious
Other drape sheets
- split sheet– 2 sides to stick together (extremity, custom breast)
- 3/4 sheet/medium sheet/ half-sheet– just a flat drape with no fenestration (many uses)
- universal drape– 4 big flat sheets w/ a sticky on each side
Basic Principles
- provide a wide cuff for the hand to avoid contamination
- almost always, best practice is to unfold drape at the incision site to avoid extra movement and contamination
- once placed, drapes should not be moved!
Before placing the main drape…
- Preparation: stack drapes on backtable in order of use, with what goes against the patient’s skin of top and the outermost drape on the bottom
- Transferral: if squaring off with woven towels, carry all 4 towels to the surgeon at the same time to avoid extra steps and possible contamination. repeat for towel clips
Draping tips
- remain a safe distance from the OR table when placing drapes
- be aware of unsterile items as you drape or move around the room
- hold drapes folded until directly over the area to be draped
- drapes should be placed precisley where they are intended to go and should not be moved after contacting the patient
- Drapes should be cuffed over gloved hands before moving the superior and inferior portions into position
- hands are not allowed to drop below table level
- any part of the drape that falls below table level is not touched again by a sterile team member
- if a towel clip is removed after being placed, the tips are considered contaminated
- remember that drapes are flammable
- removing contaminated drape usually causes a contamination but should be removed by circulator.
mnemonic device for suture
MVP (most valuable players)
- Monocryl– 2 weeks
- Vicryl– 4 weeks
- PDS– 6 weeks
Dermabond
- skin glue
- purple liquid
- no eyes
- uninfected wound/ no wetness
- seals for one week
What do we use to control bleeding or blood loss?
- Clamps (we will clamp, clamp, cut, tie)
- Ligature (just a tie/strand of material)
- Ligating clips
- Suture or stitch (with a needle)
- Bovie
Principles of suturing
- The strength of the wound is related to the condition of the tissue and the number of sitches in the edges
- Also consider:
- pt.’s age
- health
- nutritional status
- severity of wound
- location
- type of wound (clean or dirty)
- amount of tissue they take with each “bite”
- blood still needs to flow
Methods of suturing
- The wound edges are brought together in a very deliberate way to promote the best possible healing. To evert skin edges you need adsons with teeth, if inverted, it won’t heal properly. only invert for mucous membranes
- Skin= everted
-
Mucosa= Inverted
- simple continuous or running- the suture is not cut until the full length of the incision is closed
-
simple interrupted- each stitch is placed, tied and cut in a row or succession
- stronger of the two. If strand breaks, the whole thing doesn’t come all the way undone
Cutting Sutures
- Suture tails are trimmed close to the knot
- unless monofilament suture–1mm tail (if you don’t it will come unraveled)
- method of cutting suture:
- Stabilize scissors with index finger
- tips of scissors must be visible (so you know you’re not cutting something past it)
- have hemostat available just in case surure gets cut
- always use straight mayo
Specifications for Suture Material
- Sterile
- Predictable and uniform
- Tensile strength (how long suture will hold tissue together)
- USP- determines the size ranges.
- 10 largest to 11-0 smallest
- Use as small a diameter as is safe (can cause reaction–least amount absorbed by body)
- Must have secure knots, remain tied, and give support to tissue.
- Cause as little foreign body tissue reaction (least inert of materials)
Suture Size
Choice of Suture Material
Two classifications of suture material:
- Absorbable– some sort of collagen material, sometimes treated with a coating
- Non-Absorbable- body will encapsulate suture w/out harm
The two classifications (absorbable and non-absorbable) are divided into:
- Monofilament - single strand that is non-capillary (like a fishing line)
- Multifilament“braided”- Two or more strands held together by braiding or twisting. (like a shoestring.) Have capillary action which refers to the absorption of liquids along the length of the suture. If there is an infection, it can move up the suture
Suture Chart
Surgical Needles must be:
- Strong enough to prevent breakage
- if needle breaks all parts need to be accounted for
- Rigid enough to prevent bending
- Sharp enough to penetrate tissue
- Approximately the same diameter as the suture material it carries
- Appropriate shape and size for the type, condition of tissue to be sutured
- Free of burrs or corrosion
Primary and superior company for suture in ATX?
Ethicon
3 Basic components of a needle
- Point
- Body (or shaft)
- Eye
Different points of a needle
- Cutting
- has beveled edges
- used for skin (skin is tough)
- Taper (like the end of a pencil)
- below skin
- Blunt (don’t use very much)
- used on liver and kidneys because it won’t create more bleeding
- they used to use on AIDS pts but realized it caused tissue damage
Body of a needle
- Different gauges
- diameter (some heavier)
- Depth of bite
- Straight or curved
- only skin
- called a Keith needle
Eye of a needle
- Eyed
- French Eyed
- delicate
- Swaged or eyeless
- “swedged”
- crimped on
Considerations for Needle choice and Suture material:
- Use the surgeons preference card
- Learn general classification of suture, needles, and tissue
Packaging
- 1, 2, or 3 dozen per box
- Primary packet - Over wrap is foil (old style is see through) and inside is sterile.
- Inside packet, and forms a dispensing mechanism
- Every package is loaded for right hand surgeon when delivered from package.
- NEVER re-sterilize suture