Sharpie?

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Scott Weingart got me hooked on carrying a Sharpie on shift (nb it should be industrial strength), primarily for marking neck landmarks on people whose airway may deteriorate. He also advocates using it for marking external landmarks for LPs, before they get distorted by local anesthetic and hidden behind a fenestrated drape.

I've since found a few mostly obvious uses:

1) Cric landmarks

2) LP landmarks

3) Paracentesis: find a pocket of fluid with ultrasound, mark with Sharpie. Then sterilize and tap; no need to fumble with sterile US probe.

4) Outlining cellulitis

Some others:

5) Serial or alternate site ECGs:


6) Quick labeling of syringes (pretty much any sticker will work)


7) Alexander Sammel shared this one: marking added meds
8) Chris Edwards adds: signing kids' casts

Any other ideas?

 Updates: 

Per Bryan Kitch's suggestion (and kicking myself for not thinking of it):
Also, I got tired of counting out 20 floor tiles every time I used the Snellen chart on the wall:

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 2, 2013 at 6:10 AM

    Also drawing smiley faces on blow up glove toys for kids :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. mdawareJune 2, 2013 at 6:43 PM

      But which way do you have the hair face?!

      Delete
  2. AnalCrowgirlJune 2, 2013 at 6:21 AM

    Tracing edema and poison track in snake bites. I also mark a tiny x on dopplerable pulse sites

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. mdawareJune 2, 2013 at 6:22 AM

      Yes! Great for demarcating *anything* that can spread. I also use for pulse sites, thanks for the reminder!

      Delete
  3. UnknownJune 2, 2013 at 6:46 AM

    Marking veins in difficult phlebotomy

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJune 2, 2013 at 2:13 PM

    marking that a limb has had a nerve block (Mike stone's tip not mine)

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownJune 2, 2013 at 6:24 PM

    Write a number on each of your bags of resus fluid as you hang them - easy visual reminder of how you're doing on fluid balance, and also useful in case EMS therapies mean the first liter you order is actually number 3 or 4 for the patient.

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownJune 2, 2013 at 7:51 PM

    Placing a T for tourniquet, and the time, on the patient's forehead.

    ReplyDelete
  7. VPIMedicJune 12, 2013 at 2:40 PM

    I used mine yesterday on pill bottles for a polypharmacy OD. Marked number ingested on each bottle as I went through the pile with the patient

    Also use it for syringes, pulses, multiple pts on an incident, IV bags, and EKGs for multiples or V4R/V7,V8,V9.

    ReplyDelete

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