O
ur laryngoscope blades were dis-
appearing, and we weren't sure
why. Maybe our housekeepers
were scooping up the reusable blades
during cleanup and throwing them away
with the trash. Whatever the reason, not
only was it costly to frequently replace
the blades, but it also imperiled patient
safety because sometimes you'd reach for
a blade that wasn't there. Solving the
problem was simple. We placed labeled
plastic containers on all the anesthesia
carts to collect used
blades. Creating a con-
venient location for
anesthesia providers
to place used blades
has already cut down
on our loss rate.
Kelly Malone,
MHA, FACHE
Support Services
Leader
Seattle Children's
Hospital
kelly.malone@
seattlechildrens.org
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 2 1
Are Your Laryngoscope Blades Disappearing?
• EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE A plastic container on an anesthesia
cart collects used laryngoscope blades.
Kelly
Malone,
MHA,
FACHE