As the Teaching Resident in the ED this month, I have been asked to assist with a range of aspiration procedures, from peritonsillar abscess to paracentesis to priapism.
Here is a procedural complication witnessed particularly for smaller residents with smaller forearms:
- The strength required for these providers to pull back on the syringe hinders their ability to perform the procedure safely and without tiring.
- ex. Imagine the doctor coming at your open mouth, distended abdomen, or erect penis with an aspiration needle in his/her hand that is visibly trembling.
Consider this solution:
- Connect a longer spinal needle to an IV catheter extension set, which then connects to your syringe.
- One provider focuses solely on guiding needle to target. A second provider draws back on the syringe.
