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HomeGrown Solution: Getting Those IV Arms CLEAN!

Title

Getting those IV arms CLEAN!

Submitted By

Jeanne Cleary

HomeGrown Solution Number

253

Identification of the Problem

The veins in all the simulation manikins, if not cleaned properly and dried, have a tendency to get moldy. We always clean using sterile water and an alcohol. We have left the arms out to dry but often found they still had some "wet" look to them after time had passed.

Unique Idea

I have included pictures. One day as we were cleaning a lab assistant said; "wouldn't it be great if we could hook these veins up to a dryer?" Well, we placed the arms on a table that we could raise up or we raised the bed up with the manikin in it and found the veins hooked up to our O2 system! We turned on the O2 for several minutes after the general cleaning was done and WOW, they were dry!

Supplies/Ingredients

  1. Manikin
  2. IV arm
  3. O2 Wall Device

Steps to Creating the Solution

  1. Drain IV arm after use.
  2. Using a large syringe with the correct connection, flush arm with water (sterile) and then alcohol (70%) solution.
  3. Hook IV arm/Vein up to your O2 and turn it on! Leave on until all of the left over cleaning solution is gone.
  4. Really prevents mold from building up.

Images

manikin arm with IV tubes draining pink liquid on disposable underpad manikin arm with IV tubes attached to O2 wall device close-up of O2 wall device attached to manikin arm IV

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