Introcan Safety 3 IV caths

[croaker260]

Hey all, I've been tasked with yet another equipment review. Anyone use these?

Because the hub has an internal diaphram to prevent back flow, I have some specific questions.

1- Can you draw blood through these?

2- Can you get a sample off these for BG?

Any other comments pro or con?

[DFIB]

I think that you can "punch" them with a pen or something similar to get a drop for BGL. I don't know about drawing blood.

[Arctickat]

We've got the Introcan Safety caths, not the "3"s To get BGL samples we can use the flash chamber which looks identical to the one you have pictured here. As to drawing a blood sample, I couldn't tell ya.

[DFIB]

We've got the Introcan Safety caths, not the "3"s To get BGL samples we can use the flash chamber which looks identical to the one you have pictured here. As to drawing a blood sample, I couldn't tell ya.

Yea, that is what I meant.

[Arctickat]

What do you mean by punching them with a pen? One can just twist off the top of the chamber then recap it. When the cap is replaced a couple of drops of blood come out the end of the trocar.

[rock_shoes]

In my experience any safety catheter that involves a spring type mechanism is garbage. It needs to be a gliding type mechanism. Ideally one that allows blood draws and BGL from the flash chamber.

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[nypamedic43]

We use the ProtectIV needles. No spring mechanism in them. They glide smoothly when you retract the needle. The only thing I dont like about them is that when you insert the needle into the vein, you have to put it in almost to the hub of the catheter. Because the needles retract, you cant push the catheter off the needle to get it where you want it. If you try to push the catheter off, it kinks it.

edited for spelling

Edited September 25, 2012 by nypamedic43

[rock_shoes]

We use the ProtectIV needles. No spring mechanism in them. They glide smoothly when you retract the needle. The only thing I dont like about them is that when you insert the needle into the vein, you have to put it in almost to the hub of the catheter. Because the needles retract, you cant push the catheter off the needle to get it where you want it. If you try to push the catheter off, it kinks it.

edited for spelling

I haven't had that problem with the protect IV. If you have a patient with frail veins you can initiate, retract the stylet, then work the cathlon the rest of the way into the vein. Might look a little creepy the first time you do it but it works and you're not risking catheter sheer because the stylet is fully retracted.

Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk 2

[DFIB]

What do you mean by punching them with a pen? One can just twist off the top of the chamber then recap it. When the cap is replaced a couple of drops of blood come out the end of the trocar.

We may not be talking about the exact same device but it looks very similar. I briefly rode on a service once where the flash chamber did not have a cap but er could punch the back with a pen and get a drop of blood for the D-stick. If this one has a cap then I am thinking of a different model.

[Quakefire]

I know what he means by that Artikcat. We used to use a long IV cathalon, think they were called jelcos, that withdrew the needle completely within the body, (annoying because you had to twist the needle off the cathalon) You had to use your pen to push on a white diaphram at the bottom of the flash chamber to force blood out of the tip of the needle for a BGL. Those look like most introcan caths where you can pull off the bottom of the flash chamber. We tested a sample like those where there was a diaphram to prevent blood flow once the needle was removed, because of this I dont know if you could just draw blood off the cathalon or if you would maybe have to push some fluid through first?