questio

[fireflightmedic1]

Real quick guys. I have a really quick question. I have heard, been taught, seen and used flashlights as a useful tool in establishing an IV. Here is the question I pose.

Is this a taught standard in is it in a book?

Reason I ask is there seems to be discussion about this concerning a pediatric patient that received burns to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. I would like to read up on some lituature on this as this concerns me as a father and a paramedic. Any thoughts and help would be great.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Real quick guys. I have a really quick question. I have heard, been taught, seen and used flashlights as a useful tool in establishing an IV. Here is the question I pose.

Is this a taught standard in is it in a book?

Reason I ask is there seems to be discussion about this concerning a pediatric patient that received burns to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. I would like to read up on some lituature on this as this concerns me as a father and a paramedic. Any thoughts and help would be great.

Any time a patient receives burns while in our care is unacceptable, but I'm sure we all know this.

There was no discussion in my classes that taught about using a flashlight to find veins.

There is a device that looks like a slingshot without the sling that has a high power led light in it to see the veins between the prongs.

I'm not sure what it's called but it seemed to do an adequate job but it's too cumbersome to use in my opinion.

[uglyEMT]

Reason I ask is there seems to be discussion about this concerning a pediatric patient that received burns to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. I would like to read up on some lituature on this as this concerns me as a father and a paramedic. Any thoughts and help would be great.

Im sorry but if your holding a flashlight to anyone long enough to cause burns you should have your liscense pulled. Secondly, your flashlight is way too powerful get an LED.

OP this is not directed twords you personally but to the anedoctal story.

[akflightmedic]

IO

No burns and quicker than an IV any day....

[fiznat]

I have a nice LED flashlight that I use to find veins fairly often. If I leave it on for more than a minute or so it does get fairly hot, even though it is an LED. It doesn't surprise me that someone might have caused some minor burns on a pedi's skin using that method. For that reason, I am always very mindful of the temperature of my light when I'm using it.

Edited December 21, 2010 by fiznat

[paramedicmike]

This is the first link that come up when I googled "pediatric IV light". They are pretty common in pediatric settings... at least the two local children's hospitals have them all over the place.

The page I linked above also has several links to publications regarding the product (including one to a JEMS product review in October 2005). I have not read in detail the publications linked so I can't comment on their content.

How did this pediatric patient you're referencing get burns to his palms and soles? You don't say. Did the crew use a halogen flashlight in an attempt to look for veins? Or were there already burns and they were using a light to try and see something through the burnt tissue?

I can't say this was something taught in a paramedic classroom. But I have received training on how to use a device similar to what I linked above in a con-ed setting.

[fireflightmedic1]

SZ pt light was a standard PD light unknown if led, xenon, or incandecent. From stories light was used for merly seconds. To establish an IV line. Veinascopes are great but are not standard on the 911 units that I know of in GA.

[fiznat]

Why were they looking for veins in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet anyways? The story doesn't seem to make sense....

[Just Plain Ruff]

Why were they looking for veins in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet anyways? The story doesn't seem to make sense....

probably using the flash light to show the veins in the back of the hand. light on the palm and veins up top. But seriously, hot enough to burn the hands.

I'd be pissed if this happened to my child. Don't burns to the hands and feet constitute a trip to the burn center?

note to all medics and EMT's be careful with what you use out there. Who would have thought that a flashlight could cause burns to palms of hands and soles of feet.

If the time you take to get an IV results in a burn to the hands or feet then you should go back to school and remediate.

Remember the rules, DO NO HARM

[paramedicmike]

My guess is that one of these boneheads heard about the practice either second hand or by reading a snippet of an article somewhere and thought, "Hey! That sounds easy enough!". Then, without either training or intelligence, gave it a try resulting in the burns.

Idiots.