A needle and a bottle

Discussion in 'Research' started by DeadMoon, May 11, 2016.

  1. PBrady

    PBrady Active Member

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    A long time ago I used to work with large amounts of cyanide, and the lab was based over 25 minutes ambulance journey time away from medical assistance. Amongst the on-site emergency measure that were put in place for resuscitation was adrenaline and a cardiac syringe/needle kit. I was informed by the medic who worked in a nearby lab (had switched to doing science research), who was to be the one to use it if needed (special arrangement with Safety Office and solicitors), that the needle could go through pretty much anything including the sternum. If the occasion arose he didn't intend to be messing about to get it in. The needle looked more like a trochar.

    Think the OP has a resolution, but it is nice to reminisce.
     
  2. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    Maybe someone was pulling your leg. A trochar is used to introduce a line or another cannula, it's not hollow bore.

    A cardiac needle while being 4 inches long, doesn't look like a trochar.

    Given I've only drawn cadaver specimens and even in my ICU days never witnessed an intracardiac injections (RA lines were just beginning to be used when I left my ICU job) I decided I should look up the cardiac injection site.
    Intraosseus, which I mentioned earlier, is the latest thing when one cannot get a line in. The medics here use it routinely. But you aren't going through the bone, you are going into the center which is part of the cardiovascular circulation.
     
  3. PBrady

    PBrady Active Member

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    I just meant in terms of size. It certainly didn't have handles on it!
    Perhaps my faulty memory has exaggerated the size of it. It was certainly much larger than the needles we used routinely.
    As the occasion to use it never arose I don't what he actually intended to do (and would not have been in a fit state to take notes) .. and we certainly didn't practice!
     
  4. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    Well if your colleague was talking about a needle going through a sternum and he was trained to administer a cardiac injection, he may have just been saying the needle was strong, not that he'd inject through the bone. There's no reason to reach the heart through the sternum.
     

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