Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
> I've been thinking about the whole pneumothorax problem.
>
> Is it not possible to develop a *small* plastic thoracic cannula
> which could be introduced like a Venflon used to treat a tension
> pneumothorax, taped to the skin and then attached to a Heimlich
> flutter valve and (optionally) a small, light plastic bag to help
> measure the air drained.
>
Been done.
Called the Cooke Cannula technique.
Poster presentation at the last BAEM by Matthew Cooke.
Method:
Put a Brown cannula in the R2ICS MCL as per usual aspiration position.
Get normal giving set.
Cut giving set just below drip chamber.
Connect luer lock to venflon.
Put other end of cut off giving set into bottle of sterile water which
is below level of patient.
Ask patient to cough until the bubbling stops.
Withdraw cannula slowly asking patient to cough again in case end of
cannula is against visceral pleura.
remove cannula
repeat CXR
It works. It doesn't hurt.
It is quite tiring for the patient if they have a complete collapse and
try to cough it up quickly.
--
Andrew
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